Iridium-Catalyzed Alkylation of Alcohols with Amines

Iridium-Catalyzed Alkylation of Alcohols with Amines 

From this finding, the authors conclude that the imine formation may be selectivity determining. The imine that was added in a crossover-competition experiment was not reduced under the reaction conditions, which indicates that the imine is formed and consumed in the coordination sphere of the iridium catalyst. The monohydridic nature of the active catalyst was determined by the absence of isotope scrambling in an alcohol that had been labeled with deuterium in the a-position. 

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