Mild and eco-friendly chemoselective acylation of amines in aqueous medium

Abstract

Amines in the form of amine hydrochlorides are efficiently acylated with anhydrides in an aqueous medium on addition of NaHCO 3 . Both cyclic and acyclic anhydrides react with equal ease with an amine and amines of various stereo-electronic factors react with the same rates with an anhydride. No chromatographic separation is needed for isolation of the acylated product. Reactions in aqueous medium, innocuous by-products and chemoselective acylation of amines in the presence of phenols and thiols have been achieved with high selectivity.