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Amines to Amides: Acylation of Amines01:19

Amines to Amides: Acylation of Amines

Various carboxylic acid derivatives (such as acid chlorides, esters, and anhydrides) can be used for the acylation of amines to yield amides. The reaction requires two equivalents of amines. The first amine molecule functions as a nucleophile and attacks the carbonyl carbon to produce a tetrahedral intermediate. This is followed by the loss of the leaving group and restoration of the C=O bond.
Next, the second equivalent of amine serves as a Brønsted base and deprotonates the quaternary amide...
Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Friedel–Crafts Acylation of Benzene01:11

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Friedel–Crafts Acylation of Benzene

The Friedel–Crafts acylation reactions involve the addition of an acyl group to an aromatic ring. These reactions proceed via electrophilic aromatic substitution by employing an acyl chloride and a Lewis acid catalyst such as aluminum chloride to form aryl ketone.
Preparation of Amides01:29

Preparation of Amides

Amides are synthesized by treating carboxylic acids with amines in the presence of dehydrating agents like dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC).
The DCC-promoted synthesis of amides begins with the protonation of DCC by carboxylic acid. The protonation makes it a better acceptor. Next, the addition of carboxylate to the protonated carbodiimide gives a reactive acylating agent.
Subsequently, the amine acts as a nucleophile that attacks the acylating agent to form a tetrahedral intermediate. In the...
Limitations of Friedel–Crafts Reactions01:26

Limitations of Friedel–Crafts Reactions

Several restrictions limit the use of Friedel–Crafts reactions. First, the halogen in the alkyl halide must be attached to an sp3-hybridized carbon for the Friedel–Crafts reactions to occur. Vinyl or aryl halides do not react since the carbocations formed are unstable under the reaction conditions. Second, Friedel–Crafts alkylation is susceptible to carbocation rearrangement, and the major products obtained have a rearranged carbon skeleton. In contrast, the acylium ion is stabilized by...
Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Friedel–Crafts Alkylation of Benzene01:17

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Friedel–Crafts Alkylation of Benzene

Friedel–Crafts reactions were developed in 1877 by the French chemist Charles Friedel and the American chemist James Crafts. Friedel–Crafts alkylation refers to the replacement of an aromatic proton with an alkyl group via electrophilic aromatic substitution. A Lewis acid catalyst such as aluminum chloride reacts with an alkyl halide to form a carbocation. The resulting carbocation then reacts with the aromatic ring and undergoes a series of electron rearrangements before giving the final...
Acid Halides to Amides: Aminolysis01:07

Acid Halides to Amides: Aminolysis

Aminolysis is a nucleophilic acyl substitution reaction, where ammonia or amines act as nucleophiles to give the substitution product. Acid halides react with ammonia, primary amines, and secondary amines to yield primary, secondary, and tertiary amides, respectively.
In the first step of the aminolysis mechanism, the amine attacks the carbonyl carbon of the acyl chloride to form a tetrahedral intermediate. In the second step, the carbonyl group is re-formed with the elimination of a chloride...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 21, 2026

Facile Preparation of (2Z,4E)-Dienamides by the Olefination of Electron-deficient Alkenes with Allyl Acetate
06:46

Facile Preparation of (2Z,4E)-Dienamides by the Olefination of Electron-deficient Alkenes with Allyl Acetate

Published on: June 21, 2017

Friedel-Crafts acylation with amides.

Erum K Raja1, Daniel J DeSchepper, Sten O Nilsson Lill

  • 1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois 60115, USA.

The Journal of Organic Chemistry
|June 14, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Researchers demonstrate a novel Friedel-Crafts acylation method using amides, typically unreactive substrates, to synthesize aromatic ketones efficiently. This breakthrough offers a new pathway for organic synthesis, achieving yields between 55-96%.

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Published on: January 15, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Organic Chemistry
  • Synthetic Methodology
  • Reaction Mechanisms

Background:

  • Friedel-Crafts acylation, a cornerstone of organic synthesis since the 1870s, traditionally utilizes reactive acylating agents like acid chlorides or anhydrides.
  • Amides, being the least reactive carboxylic acid derivatives, have been largely excluded as substrates in conventional Friedel-Crafts acylation reactions.
  • The development of new synthetic routes is crucial for expanding the scope of established reactions and accessing diverse chemical structures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential of amides as viable substrates for Friedel-Crafts acylation.
  • To develop a novel synthetic method for producing aromatic ketones from amides.
  • To elucidate the reaction mechanism underlying the successful acylation using amides.

Main Methods:

  • Exploration of various amide derivatives as acylating agents in Friedel-Crafts reactions.
  • Optimization of reaction conditions to achieve efficient conversion of amides to aromatic ketones.
  • Mechanistic studies involving computational analysis to understand the role of superelectrophilic activation and C-N bond cleavage.

Main Results:

  • Successful synthesis of aromatic ketones from a series of amide substrates.
  • Achieved high yields ranging from 55% to 96% across 17 different examples.
  • Proposed a novel mechanism involving superelectrophilic activation and subsequent acyl cation formation, overcoming the inherent low reactivity of amides.

Conclusions:

  • Amides can be effectively employed as acylating agents in Friedel-Crafts reactions, broadening the substrate scope of this important transformation.
  • The developed method provides a valuable new route for the synthesis of aromatic ketones with good efficiency and yield.
  • The proposed mechanism offers insight into activating less reactive functional groups for electrophilic aromatic substitution.