Supported Gold Nanoparticles for Efficient α-Oxygenation of Secondary and Tertiary Amines into Amides.

Although the α-oxygenation of amines is a highly attractive method for the synthesis of amides, efficient catalysts suited to a wide range of secondary and tertiary alkyl amines using O2 as the terminal oxidant have no precedent. This report describes a novel, green α-oxygenation of a wide range of linear and cyclic secondary and tertiary amines mediated by gold nanoparticles supported on alumina (Au/Al2 O3 ). The observed catalysis was truly heterogeneous, and the catalyst could be reused. The present α-oxygenation utilizes O2 as the terminal oxidant and water as the oxygen atom source of amides. The method generates water as the only theoretical by-product, which highlights the environmentally benign nature of the present reaction. Additionally, the present α-oxygenation provides a convenient method for the synthesis of (18) O-labeled amides using H2 (18) O as the oxygen source.