11 research outputs found
Conversion of Amides into Esters by the Nickel-Catalyzed Activation of Amide C-N Bonds
The amide function is ubiquitous in natural compounds as
well as in man-made molecules and materials. It is generally
very stable and poorly reactive owing to its resonance-stabilized
C–N group that imparts a planar geometry to amides.
In contrast, carboxylic esters are generally reactive under a
variety of mild conditions; therefore, it is not surprising that
a number of direct methods are available to the chemist for
converting esters into amides (amino-de-alkoxylation reaction)
but very few for achieving the opposite transformation.
Recently, Professors Neil Garg and Ken Houk from the University
of California, Los Angeles (UCLA, USA) reported in Nature
a groundbreaking method for converting amides into esters
with a high degree of efficiency