Cleavage of 1,3-dicarbonyls through oxidative amidation

A mild and convenient protocol for the oxidative cleavage of 1,3-diketone compounds is described. Under metal-free conditions, the method converts the 1,3-dicarbonyls into amides when treated with (nBu₄N)N₃ and iodine in the presence of an amine at room temperature. Using this method, a range of 1,3-dicarbonyls with various structural motifs including sterically demanding substituents and ordinary functional groups were easily fragmented, and it is demonstrated that cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyls can be directly transformed into acyclic diamides through ring-opening. Initial mechanistic studies show that diazidation of the enol form is followed by nucleophilic substitution with the amine.