Transamidation

Transamidation is a chemical reaction in which an amide reacts with an amine to generate a new amide:

RC(O)NR'₂ + HNR"₂ → RC(O)NR"₂ + HNR'₂

The reaction is typically very slow, but it can be accelerated with Lewis acid^[1] and organometallic catalysts.^[2] Primary amides (RC(O)NH₂) are more amenable to this reaction.

Ureas[edit]

In contrast to the reluctance of amides as substrates, urea is more susceptible to this exchange process. Transamidation is practiced, sometimes even on an industrial scale, to prepare a variety of N-substituted ureas:^[3]

(H₂N)₂CO + R₂NH → (R₂N)(H₂N)CO + NH₃

(R₂N)(H₂N)CO + R₂NH → (R₂N)₂CO + NH₃

Methylurea, precursor to theobromine, is produced from methylamine and urea. Phenylurea is produced similarly but from anilinium chloride:^[4]

(H₂N)₂CO + [C₆H₅NH₃]Cl → (C₆H₅(H)N)(H₂N)CO + NH₄Cl

Hydrazine derivatives of urea are often produced by transamidation-like reactions. These products include carbohydrazide, semicarbazide, and biurea.

References[edit]

^ T. A. Dineen; M. A. Zajac; A. G. Myers (2006). "Efficient Transamidation of Primary Carboxamides by in situ Activation with N,N-Dialkylformamide Dimethyl Acetals". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128 (50): 16406–16409. doi:10.1021/ja066728i. PMID 17165798.
^ Emma L. Baker; Michael M. Yamano; Yujing Zhou; Sarah M. Anthony; Neil K. Garg (2016). "A two-step approach to achieve secondary amide transamidation enabled by nickel catalysis". Nature Communications. 7: 11554. Bibcode:2016NatCo...711554B. doi:10.1038/ncomms11554. PMC 4876455. PMID 27199089.
^ C. Nitschke; G. Scherr (2012). "Urea Derivatives". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.o27_o04. ISBN 978-3527306732.
^ "Arylureas II. Urea Method p-Ethoxyphenylurea". Org. Synth. 31: 11. 1951. doi:10.15227/orgsyn.031.0011.

[1] T. A. Dineen; M. A. Zajac; A. G. Myers (2006). "Efficient Transamidation of Primary Carboxamides by in situ Activation with N,N-Dialkylformamide Dimethyl Acetals". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128 (50): 16406–16409. doi:10.1021/ja066728i. PMID 17165798.

[2] Emma L. Baker; Michael M. Yamano; Yujing Zhou; Sarah M. Anthony; Neil K. Garg (2016). "A two-step approach to achieve secondary amide transamidation enabled by nickel catalysis". Nature Communications. 7: 11554. Bibcode:2016NatCo...711554B. doi:10.1038/ncomms11554. PMC 4876455. PMID 27199089.

[Ullmann-3] C. Nitschke; G. Scherr (2012). "Urea Derivatives". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.o27_o04. ISBN 978-3527306732.

[4] "Arylureas II. Urea Method p-Ethoxyphenylurea". Org. Synth. 31: 11. 1951. doi:10.15227/orgsyn.031.0011.

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