title: Metal-free catalyst for the chemoselective methylation of amines using carbon dioxide as a carbon source.
abstract: N-methylation of amines is an important step in the synthesis of many pharmaceuticals and has been widely applied in the preparation of other key intermediates and chemicals. Therefore, the development of efficient methylation methods has attracted considerable attention. In this respect, carbon dioxide is an attractive C1 building block because it is an abundant, renewable, and nontoxic carbon source. Consequently, we developed a highly chemoselective, metal-free catalytic system that operates under ambient conditions for the N-methylation of amines.
authors.affiliation: Institut des sciences et ingénierie chimiques Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland).
authors.forename: Shoubhik
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Felix D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Bobbink
authors.forename: Gabor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Laurenczy
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Dyson
keywords: N-heterocyclic carbenes; carbon dioxide; methylation; organocatalysis; sustainable chemistry