Treatment of a range of N-benzyl tertiary amines with aqueous eerie ammonium nitrate results in N-debenzylation to afford the corresponding secondary amine. Chemoselective mono-W-debenzylation of N-benzyl tertiary amines is shown to occur in the presence of N-benzyl amides, O-benzyl ethers, O-benzyl esters, O-benzyl phenolates and 5-benzyl ethers. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2000.
