Terpyridine Ruthenium-Catalyzed One-Pot Conversion of Aldehydes into Amides

TerpyRu(PPh3)Cl-2 is an efficient catalyst for rearranging aldoximes to amides without the need for chelating phosphines or additives as in prior examples. The catalyst is also useful in converting aldehydes into amides in a one-pot process using NaHCO3 as an additive. A mechanism involving nucleophilic attack of deprotonated oxime on an adjacent nitrile is suggested.