Preparation of tri- and difluoromethylated amines from aldimines using (trifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane.

[reaction: see text] Addition of a trifluoromethyl group into aldimines was accomplished using (trifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane with tetraalkylammonium fluorides as initiators, and the resulting adducts were converted to difluoromethylated imines in the presence of excess fluoride. The imines were reduced to difluoromethylated amines using sodium borohydride.