N-Dealkylation of Amines

Abstract

N-dealkylation, the removal of an N-alkyl group from an amine, is an important chemical transformation which provides routes for the synthesis of a wide range of pharmaceuticals, agro-chemicals, bulk and fine chemicals. N-dealkylation of amines is also an important in vivo metabolic pathway in the metabolism of xenobiotics. Identification and synthesis of drug metabolites such as N-dealkylated metabolites are necessary throughout all phases of drug development studies. In this review, different approaches for the N-dealkylation of amines including chemical, catalytic, electro-chemical, photochemical and enzymatic methods will be discussed.