Facile imine synthesis under green conditions using Amberlyst® 15

Abstract

Imines and their derivatives are of great interest to organic synthetic chemists due to their involvement as key intermediates which facilitate the construction of nitrogen heterocycles, particularly the formation of alkaloids. Imine formation by condensation of primary amines with aromatic aldehydes and cyclohexanone has been investigated under environmentally-friendly solventless heterogeneous catalysis. An array of different imines was obtained in excellent yields in appreciably short reaction times using Amberlyst® 15 as a heterogeneous catalyst. The latter was used owing to its high commercial availability, recyclability, ease of separation from the reaction mixture, and versatility.