Direct, one-pot reductive alkylation of anilines with functionalized acetals mediated by triethylsilane and TFA. Straightforward route for unsymmetrically substituted ethylenediamine

A new, robust, and reliable method has been developed for the selective reductive N-alkylation of primary and secondary aromatic amines with some functionalized acetals using TFA/Et(3)SiH as a reagent combination. A variety of unsymmetrically substituted ethylenediamines can be synthesized in a one-pot procedure in excellent yields at room temperature. This new procedure offers significant advantages over previous synthetic approaches, including brevity, mild reaction conditions, excellent yields, and high functional group tolerance.