Reduction of amides to amines

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1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane and 1,2-bis(dimethylsilyl)benzene are found to be effective reducing agents for a platinum-catalyzed reduction of carboxamides to amines. The reaction tolerates other reducible functional groups such as NO₂, CO₂R, CN, C═C, Cl, and Br. The product is obtained by simple extraction.
S. Hanada, E. Tsutsumi, Y. Motoyama, H. Nagashima, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2009, 131, 15032-15040.

A zinc-catalyzed reduction of tertiary amides shows remarkable chemoselectivity and substrate scope tolerating ester, ether, nitro, cyano, azo, and keto substituents.
S. Das, D. Addis, S. Zhou, K. Junge, M. Beller, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2010, 132, 1770-1771.

Reduction of secondary amides to imines and secondary amines has been achieved using low catalyst loadings of readily available iridium catalysts such as [Ir(COE)₂Cl]₂ with diethylsilane as reductant. The stepwise reduction to secondary amine proceeds through an imine intermediate that can be isolated when only 2 equiv of silane is used. This system shows high efficiency and an appreciable level of functional group tolerance.
C. Cheng, M. Brookhart, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2012, 134, 11304-11307.

An expeditious and practical method for the reduction of various amides and lactams to amines in good to excellent yields is consisted of activation with Tf₂O followed by reduction with sodium borohydride in THF at room temperature. This method offers TBDPS-group tolerance, short reaction time, and a simple workup.
S.-H. Xiang, J. Xu, H.-Q. Yuan, P.-Q. Huang, Synlett, 2010, 1829-1832.

A chemoselective activation of a secondary amide with triflic anhydride in the presence of 2-fluoropyridine enables a mild reduction using triethylsilane, a cheap and rather inert reagent. Imines can be isolated after a basic workup or readily transformed to the aldehydes following an acidic workup. The amine moiety can be accessed by addition of Hantzsch ester to the reaction mixture.
G. Pelletier, W. S. Bechara, A. B. Charette, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2010, 132, 12817-12819.

A triruthenium cluster catalyzes the reaction of secondary amides with hydrosilanes, yielding a mixture of secondary amines, tertiary amines, and silyl enamines. Production of secondary amines with complete selectivity is achieved by the use of higher concentration of the catalyst and bifunctional hydrosilanes such as 1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane followed by acidic workup.
S. Hanada, T. Ishida, Y. Motoyama, H. Nagashima, J. Org. Chem., 2007, 72, 7551-7559.

Phenol carbamates undergo an anionic ortho-Fries rearrangement to their corresponding amides in the presence of LDA. Sterically hindered substrates can be converted with s-BuLi/TMEDA at -90°C. The amides can be efficiently reduced with lithium aluminum hydride to the corresponding Mannich bases.
N. Assimomytis, Y. Sariyannis, G. Stavropoulos, P. G. Tsoungas, G. Varvounis, P. Cordopatis, Synlett, 2009, 2777-2782.

Odorless Dod-S-Me and MMS are developed as efficient borane carriers. The yields of hydroborations and reductions with the borane complex of Dod-S-Me are very high. The recovery of Dod-S-Me after the reaction is quantitative.
P. K. Patra, K. Nishide, K. Fuji, M. Node, Synthesis, 2004, 1003-1006.