Silver-catalyzed amidation of benzoylformic acids with tertiary amines via selective carbon-nitrogen bond cleavage

A novel approach towards the synthesis of alpha-ketoamides using tertiary amines as nitrogen group sources via C-N bond cleavage has been developed. In the presence of Ag2CO3 and K2S2O8, alpha-keto acids reacted with tertiary amines to afford the corresponding alpha-ketoamides in good yields.