N-Methylation of Amines with Methanol in Aqueous Solution Catalyzed by a Water-Soluble Metal-Ligand Bifunctional Dinuclear Iridium Catalyst.

The N-methylation of amines with methanol in aqueous solution was proposed and accomplished by using a water-soluble metal-ligand bifunctional dinuclear iridium catalyst. In the presence of [(Cp*IrCl)2(thbpym)][Cl]2 (1 mol %), a range of desirable products were obtained in high yields under environmentally benign conditions. Notably, this research exhibited the potential of transition metal-catalyzed activation of methanol as a C1 source for the construction of the C-N bond in aqueous solution.