Thioacids derived from N-protected amino or dipeptide and tripeptide acids undergo facile N-acylation with aromatic amines to afford N-protected amino or peptide aryl amides in good to excellent yields and enantiopurities. The method also furnishes difficult-to-prepare N-Fmoc amino acid 4-nitroanilides in good yields. This simple oxidative Nα-acylation of thioacids with aromatic amines proceeds in the presence of iodine, 1-hydroxybenzotriazole and N,N-diisopropylethylamine at room temperature in tetrahydrofuran.
Key words
thioacids - acylation - aryl amides - iodine