Developments in the functionalization of C-H bonds continue to streamline synthetic routes to valuable compounds. The development of transient C-H functionalization, whereby a directing group is formed in situ from common functionality, presents additional opportunities for efficient synthesis (Figure ). In particular, the formation of transient imines to direct cyclometallation combines directing group installation, C-H functionalization and directing group removal into a single step. Pioneering work by Jun and Yu 4 established the potential for aldehydic C-H and benzylic C-H functionalization respectively. Subsequent developments have enabled the palladium catalyzed functionalization of benzaldehydes and aliphatic aldehydes, with fewer examples on amines. These transient approaches directly reveal the useful aldehyde or amine functionality for further derivatization reactions. However, it is notable that almost exclusively palladium or other precious metal catalysis have been employed. Given the increasing price and undesirable toxicity profile of Pd, the development of new methods which rely on cheap and readily available base metals is crucial to sustainable synthesis. Very recently, we reported the first example of copper mediated transient C-H functionalization, in the sulfonylation of benzaldehydes with sulfinate salts using b-alanine as a catalytic transient directing group (TDG), albeit using 2.5 equivalents of copper salts (Figure ). Amine functionalities feature in countless pharmaceutically active compounds and in fine chemicals. Amines present challenging substrates for C-H functionalization due to the coordination of the strongly Lewis basic lone pair of electrons that can deactivate metal catalysts. Furthermore, they can be vulnerable to b-hydride elimination, and chemoselectivity issues as both N-H and C-H functionalization are possible. Though there are a few reports of free amine directed C(sp 2 )-H functionalization, robust amide and sulfonamide directing groups have been used most commonly. For a pertinent example, Samanta reported the palladium catalyzed C-H sulfonylation of benzylamines with sulfinate salts using picolinamide as a directing group.