Catalytic Leuckart-Wallach-type reductive amination of ketones.

A CpRh(III) complex catalyzes reductive amination of ketones using HCOONH(4) at 50-70 degrees C to give the corresponding primary amines in high yields. The reaction is clean and operationally simple and proceeds at a lower temperature and with higher chemoselectivity than the original Leuckart-Wallach reaction. The new method has been applied to the synthesis of alpha-amino acids directly from alpha-keto acids.