Streamlining the synthesis of amides using Nickel-based nanocatalysts

This paper presents a novel, robust methodology for amide synthesis via the reductive amidation of esters with nitro compounds under additive-free conditions. A heterogeneous nickel-based catalyst enables the selective preparation of a wide range of amides with diverse functional groups, showcasing step-economy compared to traditional methods. The synthesis of drugs and late-stage modifications of bioactive compounds highlight the protocol's value. Control experiments, material characterizations, and DFT computations suggest that metallic nickel and low-valent Ti species are crucial for this direct amide synthesis.

Jie Gao, Rui Ma, Fairoosa Poovan, Lan Zhang, Hanan Atia, Narayana V. Kalevaru, Wenjing Sun, Sebastian Wohlrab, Denis A. Chusov, Ning Wang, Rajenahally V. Jagadeesh, Matthias Beller