Dehydration of primary amides to nitriles catalyzed by [CNC]-pincer hydrido cobalt(III) complexes

Abstract The dehydration reactions from primary amides to nitriles were catalyzed by the [CNC]-pincer hydrido cobalt(III) complexes [( ortho -F 4 C 6 CH N C 10 H 6 )Co(III)(H)(PMe 3 ) 2 ] ( 1 ), [(2,5-F 2 C 6 H 2 CH N C 10 H 6 )Co(III)(H)(PMe 3 ) 2 ] ( 2 ) and [(2,4,5-F 3 C 6 H CH N C 10 H 6 )Co(III)(H)(PMe 3 ) 2 ] ( 3 ) as catalysts with (EtO) 3 SiH as an efficient reducing agent. These hydrido cobalt(III) complexes as catalysts are suitable for many substrates and have good functional group tolerance. Among the three cobalt hydrides, complex 2 is the best catalyst. This is the first hydrido cobalt complex-catalyzed dehydration of primary amides to nitriles.