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Direct amide synthesis from either alcohols or aldehydes with amines: activity of Ru(II) hydride and Ru(0) complexes
Senthilkumar Muthaiah1, Subhash Chandra Ghosh, Joo-Eun Jee
1Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore.
Abstract:
An in situ generated catalyst from readily available RuH(2)(PPh(3))(4), an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) precursor, NaH, and acetonitrile was developed. The catalyst showed high activity for the amide synthesis directly from either alcohols or aldehydes with amines. When a mixture of an alcohol and an aldehyde was reacted with an amine, both of the corresponding amides were obtained with good yields. Homogeneous Ru(0) complexes such as (eta(4)-1,5-cyclooctadiene)(eta(6)-1,3,5-cyclooctatriene)ruthenium [Ru(cod)(cot)] and Ru(3)(CO)(12) were also active in the amidation of an alcohol or an aldehyde with the help of an in situ generated NHC ligand.
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