Visible light-promoted alkylation of imines using potassium organotrifluoroborates.

A mild, redox-neutral, alkylation of imines with potassium alkyltrifluoroborates is described. The reaction proceeds under photoredox conditions at ∼30 °C with primary, secondary, and tertiary alkyltrifluoroborates, leading to alkylation products in moderate to good yield in most cases. Aryl-, vinyl-, and cyclopropyltrifluoroborates failed to react under the reported conditions.