N -Dealkylation of Amines.

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, agrochemicals, 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, electrochemical, photochemical and enzymatic methods will be discussed.