Room Temperature Reduction of Titanium Tetrachloride-Activated Nitriles to Primary Amines with Ammonia-Borane

Abstract

The reduction of a variety of aromatic and aliphatic nitriles, activated by a molar equivalent of titanium tetrachloride, has been achieved at room temperature using ammonia borane as a safe reductant. The corresponding methanamines were isolated in good to excellent yields following a simple acid-base workup.

Keywords

• reduction
• ammonia-borane
• nitrile
• primary amines
• titanium tetrachloride
• catalysis