Dehydrative Amidation of Carboxylic Acids via Organosilane Catalysis

The catalytic activity of trimethoxyphenylsilane is reported for the first time for the dehydrative amidation of carboxylic acids with amines. Optimization studies were carried out using aromatic acids to minimize the contribution of uncatalyzed thermal amidation and ensure accurate evaluation of catalytic effects. The reactions proceed in toluene or xylene under azeotropic reflux conditions, avoiding the use of stoichiometric dehydrating agents and enabling a straightforward acid-base workup. The protocol delivers the corresponding amides in moderate yields while accommodating sterically hindered and electronically diverse acids and amines. Although the isolated yields are moderate, this study demonstrates the feasibility of organosilane catalysis in direct amide bond formation and provides a basis for the future development of efficient organosilane catalysts for sustainable amidation chemistry.