Selective N-acetylation of aromatic amines using acetonitrile as acylating agent

A method for N-acetylation of amines has been developed using acetonitrile as an acylating agent and in situ generated trimethylsilyl iodide as the catalyst under microwave heating condition. The reaction is selective toward aromatic amines while aliphatic amines remain intact. The process eliminates the requirement of toxic acylating reagents like acetic anhydride and acetyl chloride. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.