Zinc metal-promoted nucleophilic addition of nonactivated alkyl iodides to aromatic aldimines in the presence of chlorotrimethylsilane in ethyl acetate–DMI

A variety of aromatic aldimines react with nonactivated alkyl iodides in the presence of zinc powder and a catalytic amount of chlorotrimethylsilane (TMSCl) in ethyl acetate–DMI to afford the corresponding α-alkylbenzylamine derivatives in good to excellent yields.