Synthesis of carboxamides by LDA-catalyzed Haller-Bauer and Cannizzaro reactions.

[reaction: see text] The first direct synthesis of N-alkylcarboxamides and N,N-dialkylcarboxamides by Haller-Bauer (HB) and Cannizzaro-type reactions has been realized. Lithium N,N-diisopropylamide (LDA) catalyst was successfully used in not only the HB reaction of benzylic ketones with lithium N-alkylamides to give the corresponding carboxamides and hydrocarbons but also in the Cannizzaro-type reaction of aldehydes with lithium N-alkylamides or lithium N,N-dialkylamides to give the corresponding carboxamides and alcohols.