Ligand-Free Copper-Catalyzed Direct Amidation of Diaryliodonium Salts Using Nitriles as Amidation Reagents

Abstract An efficient and practical methodology for the synthesis of N-arylamides has been developed via copper-catalyzed amidation of diaryliodonium salts with nitriles. Various substituted aryl nitriles and aliphatic nitriles could be applied in the reaction, providing a series of N-arylated amides in moderate to good yields. This procedure provides an alternative route for the synthesis of various N-arylamides. A proposed mechanism based on control experiments is also presented.