Scalable synthesis of secondary and tertiary amines by heterogeneous Pt-Sn/γ-Al2O3 catalyzed N-alkylation of amines with alcohols

Synthesis of secondary and tertiary amines has been efficiently realized from the N-alkylation of amines with alcohols by means of heterogeneous bimetallic Pt-Sn/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst (0.5 wt % Pt, molar ratio Pt:Sn = 1:3) through a borrowing hydrogen strategy. The Pt-Sn/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst has exhibited very high catalytic activity towards a wide range of amines andalcohols, and can be conveniently recycled without Pt metal leaching. The present protocol was applied for the synthesis of N-phenylbenzylamine in 96% isolated yield from aniline and benzyl alcohol on a 2.1 kg scale of the substrates, demonstrating its potential applicability for higher-order amine synthesis. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.