Efficient synthesis of amides from secondary alcohols and CH 3 CN promoted by Fe(NO 3 ) 3 ·9H 2 O.

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(NO 3 ) 3 ·9H 2 O 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(NO 3 ) 3 ·9H 2 O as an additive for the synthesis of amides was developed. Various secondary alcohols could be reacted with CH 3 CN to obtain their corresponding products, with CH 3 CN 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.