N-Acylbenzotriazoles: neutral acylating reagents for the preparation of primary, secondary, and tertiary amides

Readily available N-acylbenzotriazoles 2a-q efficiently acylate aqueous ammonia and primary and secondary amines to give primary, secondary, and tertiary amides in good to excellent yields. The wide applicability of the procedure is illustrated by the preparation of (i) alpha-hydroxyamides from alpha-hydroxy acids and of (ii) perfluoroalkylated amides.