An efficient and mild ruthenium-catalyzed racemization of amines: application to the synthesis of enantiomerically pure amines

An efficient and mild Ru-catalyzed racemization of amines under transfer hydrogenation conditions is reported. A significant advantage of this new procedure is that the ruthenium hydrogen transfer catalysts allow high functional group tolerance. Interestingly, both primary and secondary amines were efficiently racemized under these conditions. We also report on the combination of this new amine racemization with an enzymatic kinetic resolution of primary amines.