Facile preparation of N-tert -butyl amides under heat-, metal- and acid-free conditions by using tert -butyl nitrite (TBN) as a practical carbon source.

tert -Butyl nitrite (TBN) is a nontoxic substance that has frequently been used as a source of nitrogen, oxygen, or nitric oxide (NO), but not as a carbon source in chemical transformations. Here, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, we introduced TBN as a source of carbon ( tert -butyl group) for the synthesis of highly valuable N-tert -butyl amides from nitriles and water under very mild conditions.