RESUMEN
Rh-catalyzed one-step reductive amidation of aldehydes has been developed. The protocol does not require an external hydrogen source and employs carbon monoxide as a deoxygenative agent. The direction of the reaction can be altered simply by changing the solvent: reaction in THF leads to amides, whereas methanol favors formation of tertiary amines.
RESUMEN
Development of novel, sustainable catalytic methodologies to provide access to amines represents a goal of fundamental importance. Herein we describe a systematic study for the construction of a variety of amines catalyzed by a well-defined homogeneous iridium complex using carbon monoxide as a reducing agent. The methodology was shown to be compatible with functional groups prone to reduction by hydrogen or complex hydrides.