Knölker’s Iron Complex: An Efficient In Situ Generated Catalyst for Reductive Amination of Alkyl Aldehydes and Amines

An aminated series: a well-defined iron-catalyzed reductive amination reaction of aldehydes and ketones with aliphatic amines using molecular hydrogen is presented. Under mild conditions, good yields for a broad range of alkyl ketones as well as aldehydes were achieved.