Method for alkylation of amines

A method for producing an N-alkylamine, comprising reacting an amine with an alcohol in the presence of a ruthenium complex represented by the following general formula (1):

• RuHCl(CO)(L) (1)
• wherein, the general formula (1), L represents a tridentate aminodiphosphine ligand represented by the following general formula (2):
• wherein, in the general formula (2),
• R1, R2, R3 and R4 may be the same or different from one another, and each represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, an aralkyl group, an alkyloxy group, a cycloalkyloxy group, an aryloxy group, an aralkyloxy group, a heterocyclic group or a substituted amino group, wherein R1 and R2 or R3 and R4 may bind to each other to form a ring together with the adjacent phosphorus atom, and said alkyl group, cycloalkyl group, aryl group, aralkyl group, alkyloxy group, cycloalkyloxy group, aryloxy group, aralkyloxy group, heterocyclic group and substituted amino group may have substituent(s);
• and
• Q1 and Q2 may be the same or different from each other, and each represents an optionally substituted divalent alkylene group, an optionally substituted divalent cycloalkylene group or an optionally substituted divalent aralkylene group,
• wherein the N-alkylamine has the following general formula (7):
• wherein, in the general formula (7), RB1 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, an aralkyl group, a heterocyclic group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, a cycloalkenyl group, an alkyloxy group, a cycloalkyloxy group, an aryloxy group, an aralkyloxy group, a hydroxyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, a cycloalkyloxycarbonyl group, an aryloxycarbonyl group, an aralkyloxycarbonyl group, an alkenyloxycarbonyl group, an alkynyloxycarbonyl group, a cycloalkenyloxycarbonyl group, a carboxamide group or an alkoxysulfonyl group, which groups may comprise substituent(s);
• RB2 represents an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, an aralkyl group, a heterocyclic group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, a cycloalkenyl group, an alkyloxy group, a cycloalkyloxy group, an aryloxy group, an aralkyloxy group, a hydroxyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, a cycloalkyloxycarbonyl group, an aryloxycarbonyl group, an aralkyloxycarbonyl group, an alkenyloxycarbonyl group, an alkynyloxycarbonyl group, a cycloalkenyloxycarbonyl group, a carboxamide group or an alkoxysulfonyl group, which groups may comprise substituent(s);
• wherein RB1 and RB2 may bind to each other to form a ring together with the adjacent nitrogen atom;
• and
• R represents an optionally substituted hydrocarbon group, an optionally substituted aryl group or an optionally substituted heterocyclic group,
• wherein the amine has the following general formula (8):
• wherein, in the general formula (8), RB1 and RB2 each represents the same group as the definition in the general formula (7), and
• the alcohol has the following general formula (6):
• R—OH (6)
• wherein, in the general formula (6), R represents the same group as mentioned above.