title: Direct selective oxygen-assisted acylation of amines driven by metallic silver surfaces: dimethylamine with formaldehyde.
abstract: Facile, direct acylation of dimethylamine with formaldehyde to N,N-dimethylformamide proceeds with a selectivity approaching 100% at low oxygen concentrations on metallic silver surfaces; the reaction proceeds via nucleophilic attack of adsorbed dimethylamide on formaldehyde with subsequent beta-H elimination from the adsorbed hemiaminal.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Cassandra G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Freyschlag
authors.forename: Bingjun
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Cynthia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Friend
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Madix
mesh_terms: D000215:Acylation; D004123:Dimethylamines / Q000737:chemistry*; D004126:Dimethylformamide; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000737:chemistry*; D005559:Formamides / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry*; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D004123:Dimethylamines; D005559:Formamides; D005557:Formaldehyde; D012834:Silver; D004126:Dimethylformamide; C034516:dimethylamine; D010100:Oxygen