Nickel-catalyzed hydrogenative coupling of nitriles and amines for general amine synthesis.

Chandrashekhar, Vishwas G; Baumann, Wolfgang; Beller, Matthias; Jagadeesh, Rajenahally V · Science · 2022

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Efficient and general methods for the synthesis of amines remain in high demand in the chemical industry. Among the many known processes, catalytic hydrogenation is a cost-effective and industrially proven reaction and currently used to produce a wide array of such compounds. We report a homogeneous nickel catalyst for hydrogenative cross coupling of a range of aromatic, heteroaromatic, and aliphatic nitriles with primary and secondary amines or ammonia. This general hydrogenation protocol is showcased by straightforward and highly selective synthesis of >230 functionalized and structurally diverse amines including pharmaceutically relevant and chiral products, as well as <sup>15</sup>N-isotope labeling applications.