Energy-efficient green catalysis: supported gold nanoparticle-catalyzed aminolysis of esters with inert tertiary amines by C-O and C-N bond activations.

Catalyzed by supported gold nanoparticles, an aminolysis reaction between various aryl esters and inert tertiary amines by C-O and C-N bond activations has been developed for the selective synthesis of tertiary amides. Comparison studies indicated that the gold nanoparticles could perform energy-efficient green catalysis at room temperature, whereas Pd(OAc)2 could not.