Environmentally Benign Ritter Reaction Using Bismuth Salts as a Catalyst

Efficient synthesis of amides from secondary alcohols and CH3CN promoted by Fe(NO3)3·9H2O

The Ritter reaction is the most attractive method for synthesizing amides, and various acids have been used to promote this reaction. Compared to these acids, Fe(NO3)3·9H2O is less toxic and costly, and it shows relatively high Lewis acidity and great catalytic activity. In this study, a simple and efficient protocol involving Fe(NO3)3·9H2O as an additive for the synthesis of amides was developed. Various secondary alcohols could be reacted with CH3CN to obtain their corresponding products, with CH3CN being used as a reactant and solvent. This protocol was found to be applicable to a wide range of alcohols and nitrile substrates. In general, it was found that substrates containing electron-donating-groups offered the corresponding amides in good to excellent yields, while those with electron-withdrawing groups offered low to moderate yields. Meanwhile, this approach was scalable to the gram level, offering an attractive opportunity for further application in organic synthesis.

Harnessing Protonated 2,2'-Bipyridinium Salts as Powerful Brønsted Acid Catalysts in Organic Reactions

It is the first time that the readily available protonated 2,2'-bipyridinium salts are used as Brønsted acid catalysts to accelerate a series of organic transformations that included the hydration of aromatic alkynes, etherification of alcohols, cyclotrimerization of aliphatic aldehydes, Ritter reaction, Mannich reaction, Biginelli reaction, preparation of substituted alkenes from alcohols, synthesis of spirooxindole, bisindolylmethane, and noncyclized tetraketone with good to excellent yields. These results strongly suggest that there exists enormous potentiality in the development of the protonated 2,2'-bipyridinium catalytic system.

Tf2O- and Cu(OTf)2-Assisted Acylamination Reaction of Unactivated Alcohols with Nitriles: A One-Pot P(IV) Activation, Stereoretention in Cycloalkanols and Deprotection Approach

Described herein is a simple, novel, one-pot acylamination reaction of unactivated alcohols. This reaction employs the combination of PCl₃ and triflic anhydride (Tf₂O) or copper triflate Cu(OTf)₂, which serves as a source of P(IV)-activated complex for nitriles to react under the Ritter-type mechanism. The synthetic utility of Tf₂O-promoted reactions was demonstrated by its effectiveness to generate different acylaminated products. By employing Cu(OTf)₂, this method represents a rare example of α-selective acylamination reaction. With chiral cycloalkanols, using the Cu(OTf)₂-promoted procedure, acylaminated products are formed with complete retention of configuration. The synthetic utility of the copper-assisted reaction in acetonitrile was readily demonstrated as a mild deprotection strategy.

Polyoxometalate Ionic Liquid-Catalyzed Ritter Reaction for Efficient Synthesis of Amides

A series of polyoxometalate-ionic liquid catalysts that combine the features of polyoxometalate and ionic liquid with the introduce of acidity and miscibility have been developed to promote the Ritter reaction. Among them, [BSmim]CuPW12O40 displays the highest activity for the amidation of a variety of alcohols with nitriles, delivering the corresponding amide products in good to excellent yields. Furthermore, it can be easily scaled up to the gram scale without losing efficiency. Hence, this process provides an appealing way to prepare amides from the Ritter reaction by using polyoxometalate-ionic liquid based catalysts.

Tropylium-promoted Ritter reactions

The Ritter reaction used to be one of the most powerful synthetic tools to functionalize alcohols and nitriles, providing valuable N-alkyl amide products. However, this reaction has not been frequently used in modern organic synthesis due to its employment of strongly acidic and harsh reaction conditions, which often lead to complicated side reactions. Herein, we report the development of a new method using salts of the tropylium ion to promote the Ritter reaction. This method works well on a range of alcohol and nitrile substrates, giving the corresponding products in good to excellent yields. This reaction protocol is amenable to microwave and continuous flow reactors, offering an attractive opportunity for further applications in organic synthesis.

Recent advances of Ritter reaction and its synthetic applications

This review provides a comprehensive survey of Ritter reactions from 2014 to 2020.

Heavy Metals Make a Chain: A Catenated Bismuth Compound

Catenation is common for the light main-group elements whereas it is rare for the heavy elements. Herein, we report the first example of a neutral molecule containing a Bi₄ chain. It is prepared in a one-step reaction between bismuth trichloride and bis(diisopropylphosphino)amine in methanol suspension. The same reaction carried out in dichloromethane gives quite different products. All products have been characterized spectroscopically and using single-crystal X-ray analysis.