Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Metal-free Synthesis of Ynones from Acyl Chlorides and Potassium Alkynyltrifluoroborate Salts
Published on: February 24, 2015
Transition-metal-free hydration of nitriles using potassium tert-butoxide under anhydrous conditions
Ganesh Chandra Midya1, Ajoy Kapat1, Subhadip Maiti1
1Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India.
Abstract:
Potassium tert-butoxide acts as a nucleophilic oxygen source during the hydration of nitriles to give the corresponding amides under anhydrous conditions. The reaction proceeds smoothly for a broad range of substrates under mild conditions, providing an efficient and economically affordable synthetic route to the amides in excellent yields. This protocol does not need any transition-metal catalyst or any special experimental setup and is easily scalable to bulk scale synthesis. A single-electron-transfer radical mechanism as well as an ionic mechanism have been proposed for the hydration process.
Related Concept Videos
Aldehydes and Ketones with Water: Hydrate Formation
The formation of hydrates is a reversible reaction. Hydrate formation is influenced by steric and electronic factors accompanying the alkyl substituents on the carbonyl group: The rate of hydrate formation increases with a decrease in the number of alkyl groups attached to the carbonyl carbon. Hence,...
Nitriles to Ketones: Grignard Reaction
The mechanism begins with a nucleophilic attack by the...
Preparation of Nitriles
Preparation of Aldehydes and Ketones from Nitriles and Carboxylic Acids
Reducing carboxylic acid derivatives like acyl chlorides (RCOCl), esters (RCO2R′), and nitriles (RCN) using milder aluminum hydride agents like lithium tri-tert-butoxyaluminum hydride [LiAlH(O-t-Bu)3] and diisobutylaluminum hydride [DIBAL-H]...
Alkynes to Aldehydes and Ketones: Acid-Catalyzed Hydration
Analogous to alkenes, alkynes also undergo acid-catalyzed hydration. While the addition of water to an alkene gives an alcohol, hydration of alkynes produces different products such as aldehydes and ketones.
Hydroboration-Oxidation of Alkenes

