General Approach to Amides through Decarboxylative Radical Cross-Coupling of Carboxylic Acids and Isocyanides

Org Lett. 2024 Apr 26;26(16):3380-3385. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.4c00872. Epub 2024 Apr 12.

Abstract

Herein, we report a silver-catalyzed protocol for decarboxylative cross-coupling between carboxylic acids and isocyanides, leading to linear amide products through a free-radical mechanism. The disclosed approach provides a general entry to a variety of decorated amides, accommodating a diverse array of radical precursors, including aryl, heteroaryl, alkynyl, alkenyl, and alkyl carboxylic acids. Notably, the protocol proved to be efficient for decarboxylative late-stage functionalization of several elaborate pharmaceuticals, demonstrating its potential applications.