We report the synthesis of a series of new ammonium tetraorganylborates str
ategically designed to, upon photolysis, generate tertiary amines. Experime
nts in acetonitrile show amine formation in reasonably high quantum yield t
hat depends on the photoreactive acceptor, the borate, and the substituents
. on the nitrogen atom. The reactive triplet state is reduced by the borate
, and this is followed by rapid homolysis of the carbon-nitrogen bond.