Iodine-catalyzed N-alkylation of tosylhydrazones with benzylic alcohols

A new and highly efficient method for the C–N bond formation using molecular iodine-catalyzed N-alkylation reaction of tosylhydrazones with benzylic/benzhydryl alcohols at room temperature in methylene chloride is described. A variety of tosylhydrazones reacted readily with various substituted benzylic alcohols in presence of 20 mol % iodine under mild reaction conditions to produce the corresponding biologically active N-alkylated compounds in good to excellent yields.