User-Friendly Copper-Catalysed Reduction of Azides to Amines

Abstract

Three homoleptic copper(I) complexes have been prepared and applied to the reduction of organic azides. Under optimised conditions, complex [Cu(HPDIDMA)2]BF4 3 (HPDIDMA=2,6-bis[N-(4-dimethylaminophenyl)carbaldimino]pyridine) could reduce a range of electron-poor azides in a mixture of DMSO and water without the need of an additional H-source.