CO2 as a C1-building block for the catalytic methylation of amines

A novel catalytic reaction has been designed to utilize, for the first time, CO2 as a C1 feedstock in the synthesis of N-methylamines. Simple zinc catalysts, based on commercially available zinc salts and ligands, prove highly efficient in promoting both a 6 electron reduction of carbon dioxide and the formation of a C–N bond, using hydrosilanes and amines.