
This paper is dedicated to Emeritus Professor, Dr. Nasser Iranpoor (Shiraz University) on the occasion of his 67th birthday.
Abstract
The synthesis of amides is a substantial research area in organic chemistry because of their ubiquitous presence in natural products and bioactive molecules. The use of easily accessible isocyanides as amidoyl (carbamoyl) synthons in cross-coupling reactions using transition metal and inner transition metöal catalysts is a current trend in this area. Isocyanides, owing to their coordination ability as a ligand and inherent electronic properties for reactions with various partners, have expanded the potential application of these transformations for the preparation of novel synthetic molecules and pharmaceutical candidates. This review gives an overview of the achievements in isocyanide-based transition metal and inner transition metal catalyzed amide formation and discusses highlights of the proposed distinct mechanisms.
1 Introduction
2 Synthesis of Arenecarboxamides
3 Synthesis of Alkanamides
4 Synthesis of Cyclic Amides
5 Formation of Alkynamides
6 Formation of Acrylamide-like Molecules
7 Formation of Ureas and Carbamates
8 Conclusion
Key words
isocyanides - transition metal catalysis - cascade reaction - insertion - amide - cross coupling - multicomponent reaction