Transfer Hydration of Dinitriles to Dicarboxamides

We present a robust method for double transfer hydration of dinitriles to afford diamides. The transfer hydration of 1,n-dinitriles (n=1-6) proceeds smoothly in the presence of a palladium(II) catalyst with acetamide as a water donor, affording the corresponding diamides in moderate to high yields, without involving significant side reactions such as monohydration or cyclization. The equilibrium was shifted in the forward direction by removing coproduced acetonitrile under reduced pressure.