Reduction of hydrazines to amines with aqueous solution of titanium(iii) trichloride

Abstract

N–N bond cleavage in hydrazines is widely used in the preparation of amines and thus occupies a significant place in organic synthesis. In this paper, we report a new method for the reductive cleavage of N–N bonds in hydrazines by commercially available and cheap aqueous titanium(III) trichloride. The reaction proceeds smoothly under a broad pH range from acidic to neutral and basic conditions to afford amines in good yields. This method is compatible with substrates containing functionalities such as C–C double bonds, benzyl–nitrogen bonds, benzyloxy and acyl groups.