One-pot reductive amination of aldehydes and ketones with α-picoline-borane in methanol, in water, and in neat conditions

A one-pot reductive amination of aldehydes and ketones with amines using α-picoline-borane as a reducing agent is described. The reaction has been carried out in MeOH, in H2O, and in neat conditions in the presence of small amounts of AcOH. This is a highly efficient and mild procedure that is applicable for a wide variety of substrates. In particular, this is the first successful demonstration that this type of reaction can be carried out in water and in neat conditions.