Amide reduction


Amide reduction is a reaction in organic synthesis where an amide is reduced to either an amine or an aldehyde functional group.

Catalytic hydrogenation

Catalytic hydrogenation can be used to reduce amides to amines; however, the process often requires high hydrogenation pressures and reaction temperatures to be effective. Selective catalysts for the reaction include Copper chromite, Rhenium trioxide, and Rhenium oxide.

Non-catalytic routes to amines

s able to affect this reaction include metal hydrides such as lithium aluminium hydride, or lithium borohydride in mixed solvents of tetrahydrofuran and methanol,

Non-catalytic routes to aldehydes

N,N-disubstituted amides can be reduced to aldehydes by using an excess of the amide:
With further reduction the alcohol is obtained.
Some amides can be reduced to aldehydes in the Sonn-Müller method.

Hydrosilylation

A well known method for amide reduction is hydrosilylation with silyl hydrides and a suitable catalyst based on Rh, Ru, Pt, Pd, Ir, Os, Re, Mn, Mo, In, or Ti.
Iron catalysis by triiron dodecacarbonyl in combination with polymethylhydrosiloxane has been reported.