Novel versatile synthesis method for amides, carbamates and ureas employing a Grignard base, an amine and an ester

Methods for the synthesis of amides are extremely important given huge prevalence of this functional group in biological systems, as well as in the pharmaceutical industry. The ACS Green Chemistry Institute Pharmaceutical Roundtable have identified the amide bond formation as one of the most important reactions used in industry for which better reagents are required. We have developed a mild method using simple esters and amines with a Grignard reagent to synthesise, amides, carbamates and ureas (symmetrical and unsymmetrical). The method is significant in its simplicity, wide scope and the molecules that can be accessed.