• Reaction with dimethylamine in the presence of CuCl gives the N,N-dimethylamidine, which, on borohydride reduction, provides an efficient route to the N,N-dimethylphenethylamine: Tetrahedron Lett., 34, 6395 (1993); Org. Synth., 76, 133 (1998). The method is applicable to other alkyl nitriles and to both primary and secondary amines, providing a general route to secondary and tertiary amines from the corresponding nitriles: