Diethyl Ether → [(2,4-Dimethoxyphenyl)methyl](methyl)amine

N-(2,4-Dimethoxy-benzyl)-formamide (0.50 g, 2.6 mmol) was added slowly to a suspension of the lithium tetrahydroaluminate (0.19 g, 5.1 mmol) in ether (30 mL, 200 mmol) at −78° C. The reaction mixture was warmed slowly to rt and stirred at rt under an atmosphere of Argon over night. The reaction was quenched at 0° C. by the sequential addition of 0.19 ml of H2O, 0.19 ml of 15% aq NaOH solution, and 0.57 ml of the H2O. The inorganic solids were removed by filtration and washed with ether. The ether filtrate was washed with water and brine, dried over Na2SO4. Evaporation of the solvent gave the product as a pale yellow oil (0.38 g, 82%).