Treatment of [Et₄N][M(CO)₅l] with RCH₂NH₂(R = Me, H) and Me₂NH provides a good general method for the preparation of amine-metal carbonyls of formulae M(CO)₅RCH₂NHX (M = Cr, Mo, W; X = Me, H; R = Me, H). The ¹H n.m.r. and i.r. spectra of these new amine complexes are discussed in relation to some comparable phosphine derivatives.