1. Reduction of nitriles:Nitriles can be reduced using LiAlH₄ or H₂/Ni or Na(Hg)/C₂H₅OH, produce primary amines. The amine produced has one carbon more than the alkyl group in the nitrile. Ex:Methyl cyanide produces ethyl amine.

2. Reduction of nitro compounds:Reduction of nitro compounds:These compounds can be reduced by catalytic hydrogenation using molecular hydrogen or by chemical reduction using metal and acid. Aromatic amines are normally prepared by reduction of the corresponding aromatic nitro compound.

3. Gabriel synthesis :This is a method for preparing aliphatic primary amines. In this method Phthalimide first reacts with alcoholic KOH to form potassium salt of phthalimide, which on heating with an alkyl halide followed by alkaline hydrolysis produces a primary amine as shown. This method cannot be used to prepare aromatic primary amines since the anion of the phthalimide cannot react with aryl halides.

4. Hoffmann bromamide reaction:This is another method for the preparation of primary amines. An amide is treated with bromine in an aqueious or alcoholic solution of NaOH to produce the primary amine as shown.

There is migration of an alkyl or aryl group from the carbonyl carbon of the amide to the nitrogen atom. This reaction is also called the bromamide degradation ,since the product amine has one carbon less than the parent amide.