Ru-catalyzed hydroamidation of alkenes and cooperative aminocarboxylation procedure with chelating formamide.

[reaction: see text] A strategy of chelation-assisted activation of formamide was employed to achieve hydroamidation of alkenes to generate one-carbon-elongated amides in moderate to good selectivity and yields. Also reported is the two-metal-catalyzed cooperative aminocarboxylation of aryl iodides, in which Ru is presumed to catalyze decarbonylation of formamide to release carbon monoxide and amine for the subsequent Pd-catalyzed aminocarboxylation routes, thus enabling the net transformation to be performed in the absence of external CO pressure.