Room Temperature Reduction of Titanium Tetrachloride-Activated Nitriles to Primary Amines with Ammonia-Borane

The reduction of a variety of aromatic and aliphatic nitriles, activated by a molar equivalent of titanium tetrachloride, has been achieved at room temperature using ammonia borane as a safe reductant. The corresponding methanamines were isolated in good to excellent yields following a simple acid-base workup.