Tetrahedron Letters

An efficient synthesis of tertiary amines from nitriles in aprotic solvents

J Shares, J Yehl, A Kowalsick, P Byers, MP Haaf

Index: Shares, Jonathan; Yehl, Jenna; Kowalsick, Amanda; Byers, Philip; Haaf, Michael P. Tetrahedron Letters, 2012 , vol. 53, # 33 p. 4426 - 4428

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Citation Number: 8

Abstract

Tertiary amines are utilized extensively as non-nucleophilic proton scavengers for a number of organic transformations. Herein we report the efficient syntheses of tertiary alkyl amines from their corresponding alkyl nitriles in the presence of a heterogeneous palladium catalyst and a source of dihydrogen in aprotic solvents. The reaction is atom economic, the conditions are mild, and the isolated yields are virtually quantitative. The degree of amine ...