| Abstract: | Amides are synthesized directly from alcohols and amines in high yields using an in situ generated catalyst from easily available ruthenium complexes such as the (p‐cymene)ruthenium dichloride dimer, [Ru(p‐cymeme)Cl2]2, or the (benzene)ruthenium dichloride dimer, [Ru(benzene)Cl2]2, an N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand, and a nitrogen containing L‐type ligand such as acetonitrile. The phosphine‐free catalyst systems showed improved or comparable activity compared to previous phosphine‐based catalytic systems. The in situ generated catalyst from [Ru(benzene)Cl2]2, an NHC ligand, and acetonitrile showed excellent activity toward reactions with cyclic secondary amines such as piperidine and morpholine. |
