Expedient Reductive Amination of Aldehyde Bisulfite Adducts

A novel, one-pot protocol for the direct reductive amination of aldehyde bisulfite adducts is reported. Bisulfite adducts of aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes, on treatment with an organic base under non-aqueous conditions liberate the aldehyde in situ, which then undergoes efficient reductive amination with amines in the presence of sodium triacetoxyborohydride.