So many drugs have N-methyl and N-ethyl units. Using alcohols, how we could synthesize drugs?

What is it about?

So many drugs have heteroaromatic ring systems in their interior. They are labile toward conventional methylating and ethylating reaction conditions (acidic, basic, high temperature, etc.). Using methanol and ethanol at room temperature under almost neutral/physiological conditions and even in the presence of excess water, we now are able to synthesize N-methyl and -ethyl units in different drugs.

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Why is it important?

If were able to synthesize N-methyl units at the last stage of the synthesis of drugs, the method could be applied to the positron emission tomography (PET), which is the way to track the metabolic pathways of drugs uptake in our body!