Efficient synthesis of amines by iron-catalyzed C=N transfer hydrogenation and C=O reductive amination

Here we report the catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH) of non-activated imines promoted by a Fe-catalyst in the absence of Lewis acid co-catalysts. Use of the (cyclopentadienone) iron complex 1, which is much more active than the classical ‘Kno¨ lker complex’ 2, allowed to reduce a number of N-aryl and N-alkyl imines in very good yields using iPrOH as hydrogen source. The reaction proceeds with relatively low catalyst loading (0.5–2 mol%) and, remarkably, its scope includes also ketimines, whose reduction with a Fe-complex as the only catalyst has little precedents. Based on this methodology, we developed a one-pot CTH protocol for the reductive amination of aldehydes/ketones, which provides access to secondary amines in high yield without the need to isolate imine intermediates.