title: Transition-metal-free hydration of nitriles using potassium tert-butoxide under anhydrous conditions.
abstract: Potassium tert-butoxide acts as a nucleophilic oxygen source during the hydration of nitriles to give the corresponding amides under anhydrous conditions. The reaction proceeds smoothly for a broad range of substrates under mild conditions, providing an efficient and economically affordable synthetic route to the amides in excellent yields. This protocol does not need any transition-metal catalyst or any special experimental setup and is easily scalable to bulk scale synthesis. A single-electron-transfer radical mechanism as well as an ionic mechanism have been proposed for the hydration process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India.
authors.forename: Ganesh Chandra
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Midya
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India.
authors.forename: Ajoy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kapat
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India.
authors.forename: Subhadip
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maiti
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India.
authors.forename: Jyotirmayee
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dash
mesh_terms: D000440:Butanols / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D004579:Electron Transport; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009570:Nitriles / Q000737:chemistry*; D028561:Transition Elements / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000440:Butanols; D008670:Metals; D009570:Nitriles; D028561:Transition Elements; C077664:tert-butoxide, potassium