Mimicking the environment of living organisms to achieve the oxidative coupling of amines to imines catalyzed by water-soluble metalloporphyrins

Highly efficient procedure for preparing imines from the oxidative coupling of amines catalyzed by metalloporphyrins using water as the only solvent has been developed. Manganese porphyrin showed an excellent activity for the oxidative coupling of a wide range of amines under mild conditions. Further investigations of the oxidative coupling reaction led to the elucidation of the possible mechanism.