User-friendly copper-catalysed reduction of azides to amines

Three homoleptic copper(I) complexes have been prepared and applied to the reduction of organic azides. Under optimised conditions, complex [Cu(HPDIDMA)2]BF4 3 ( HPDIDMA = 2,6-bis[N-(4-dimethylaminophenyl)carbaldimino]pyridine) could reduce a range of electron-poor azides in a mixture of DMSO and water without the need of an additional Hsource