Redox surrogate methods for sustainable amine N-alkylation

The N-alkylation of amines constitutes one of the most widely applied transformations in synthetic chemistry, but established methods often utilise non-renewable feedstocks and must be adapted for a post fossil fuel world. This review is focused on emerging methodologies in which redox surrogate reagents to carbonyl compounds are used which may be more readily sourced from nature. The review considers both chemocatalytic and biocatalytic approaches and considers challenges such as application and the development of sustainable methodology with low carbon impact.