Silver-Catalyzed Chemo- and Regioselective Nitration of Anilides

A new and efficient Ag-catalyzed method for the nitration of anilides by using sodium nitrite as a cheap and available NO2 source has been developed. This C-H functionalization reaction is ortho-selective, achieves moderate to high yields and shows excellent functional group tolerance. Furthermore, it provides a novel approach to ortho-nitrated anilides, which are very tricky to access with traditional methods.