Graphene oxide (GO) catalyzed transamidation of aliphatic amides: An efficient metal-free procedure

Transamidation involves direct interconversion of an amide with amine, and represents an alternative to the common method of amide formation from the reaction of carboxylic acid with an amine. While the carboxamides have huge potential in biological systems and polymer industries, their formation from carboxylic acids requires activation by a suitable catalyst. A metal-free transamidation of aliphatic amide with aromatic amine catalyzed by graphene oxide (GO) has been developed and established as a general, synthetically useful and selective procedure. Graphene oxide bearing several carboxylic acids on the edges and having large surface area acts as an efficient and recyclable catalyst for transamidation.