Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026
06:00
One-pot Microwave-assisted Conversion of Anomeric Nitrate-esters to Trichloroacetimidates
Published on: January 15, 2018
A convenient new procedure for converting primary amides into nitriles
Chun-Wei Kuo1, Jia-Liang Zhu, Jen-Dar Wu
1Division of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County, 350, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England)
|February 15, 2007
Summary
A new method efficiently converts primary amides to nitriles using ethyl dichlorophosphate and DBU. This simple, high-yielding dehydration offers a valuable synthetic route for organic chemists.
Area of Science:
- Organic Chemistry
- Synthetic Chemistry
Background:
- Nitrile synthesis is crucial in organic chemistry.
- Existing methods for amide dehydration can be harsh or low-yielding.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a mild and efficient method for converting primary amides to nitriles.
Main Methods:
- Utilized ethyl dichlorophosphate in combination with 1,8-Diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) as a dehydrating system.
- Applied the method to various primary amide substrates.
Main Results:
- Achieved high yields in the conversion of primary amides to their corresponding nitriles.
- The procedure is operationally simple and requires mild reaction conditions.
Conclusions:
- Ethyl dichlorophosphate/DBU provides an effective and mild reagent system for nitrile synthesis from primary amides.
- This method represents a practical advancement in synthetic organic chemistry.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:12Preparation of Nitriles
One of the common methods to prepare nitriles is the dehydration of amides. This method requires strong dehydrating agents like phosphorous pentoxide or boiling acetic anhydride for converting amides to nitriles. Another reagent namely, thionyl chloride also accomplishes the dehydration of amides, where amide acts as a nucleophile. The first step of the mechanism involves the nucleophilic attack by the amide on the thionyl chloride to form an intermediate. In the next step, the electron pairs...
01:13Preparation of Amines: Reduction of Amides and Nitriles
Nitriles can be reduced to primary amines using reducing agents like lithium aluminum hydride or catalytic hydrogenation. The reduction introduces an amino group with an extra carbon in the skeleton. Nitriles are formed from the reaction between alkyl halides and sodium cyanide through the SN2 mechanism. Primary alkyl halides are the preferred substrates to prepare nitriles.
Amides can be reduced to primary, secondary, and tertiary amines using catalytic hydrogenation, active metals like Fe,...
Amides can be reduced to primary, secondary, and tertiary amines using catalytic hydrogenation, active metals like Fe,...
01:28Preparation of 1° Amines: Gabriel Synthesis
Direct alkylation is not a suitable method for synthesizing amines because it produces polyalkylated products. Gabriel synthesis is the most preferred method to exclusively make primary amines. The method uses phthalimide, which contains a protected form of nitrogen that participates in alkylation only once to predominantly give primary amines.
Strong bases like NaOH or KOH deprotonate the phthalimide to form the corresponding anion, which acts as a nucleophile. Further, the anion attacks an...
Strong bases like NaOH or KOH deprotonate the phthalimide to form the corresponding anion, which acts as a nucleophile. Further, the anion attacks an...
01:22Preparation of 1° Amines: Azide Synthesis
Direct alkylation of ammonia produces polyalkylated amines, along with a quaternary ammonium salt. To exclusively prepare primary amines, the azide synthesis method can be used.
Azide ions act as good nucleophiles and react with unhindered alkyl halides to form alkyl azides. Alkyl azides do not participate in further nucleophilic substitution reactions, thereby eliminating the chances of polyalkylated products. Alkyl azides are reduced by hydride-based reducing agents, like lithium aluminum...
Azide ions act as good nucleophiles and react with unhindered alkyl halides to form alkyl azides. Alkyl azides do not participate in further nucleophilic substitution reactions, thereby eliminating the chances of polyalkylated products. Alkyl azides are reduced by hydride-based reducing agents, like lithium aluminum...
01:38Preparation of Amines: Reductive Amination of Aldehydes and Ketones
Carbonyl compounds and primary amines undergo reductive amination first to produce imines, followed by secondary amines in the same reaction mixture, using selective reducing agents like sodium cyanoborohydride or sodium triacetoxyborohydride. Reductive amination produces different degrees of substitution of amines depending on the starting amine substrate.
01:07Preparation of 1° Amines: Hofmann and Curtius Rearrangement Overview
In the presence of an aqueous base and a halogen, primary amides can lose the carbonyl (as carbon dioxide) and undergo rearrangement to form primary amines. This reaction, called the Hofmann rearrangement, can produce primary amines (aryl and alkyl) in high yields without contamination by secondary and tertiary amines.