The application provides a method for efficiently reducing imines to synthesize alpha-
amino acid compounds and application thereof, and belongs to the technical field of
chemical synthesis. The method comprises the following steps: using
hydroxyacetone as a
reducing agent, and reducing imines under the
catalysis of aza-cycloalkyl
carbine catalysts to obtain alpha-
amino acid compounds. The method uses
hydroxyacetone as a
reducing agent, and adopts aza-cycloalkyl
carbine catalysts to realize the reduction of imines under mild conditions. The method is simple in operation, low in cost, green and
pollution-free, suitable for industrial production, and solves the problems of non-cleanness caused by the use of
metal catalysts in the existing
imine reduction method, use of dangerous and unstable reducing agents, harsh
reaction conditions and high production cost.