Abstract
Tertiary amides were efficiently reduced to their corresponding tertiary amines in high isolated yields by using the commercially available and inexpensive polymeric silane polymethylhydrosiloxane (PMHS) as the reducing agent. The reaction is efficiently catalyzed by an in situ generated iron/N-heterocyclic carbene complex (1 mol-%) obtained from iron(II) acetate and 1-(2-hydroxy-2-phenylethyl)-3-methylimidazolium triflate ([PhHEMIM][OTF]). A catalytic amount of lithium chloride (1 mol-%) present in the reaction mixture significantly reduced the reaction time and increased the chemoselectivity of the reduction process.