Copper-Catalyzed Transfer Hydrogenation of N-Heteroaromatics with an Oxazaborolidine Complex.

The first-time use of the oxazaborolidine complex in transfer hydrogenation was accomplished. It was prepared without difficulty from cheap materials: ethanolamine and BH·THF. A general and efficient method for copper-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of a variety of N-heteroaromatics with an oxazaborolidine-BH complex under mild reaction conditions afforded the corresponding hydrogenated products in up to 96% yield.