Direct electrochemical amidation of fatty acids with ammonia in liquefied ammonia

Abstract

Amides represent a critical class of chemicals. Direct amide synthesis from fatty acids and ammonia is an efficient and highly desirable route for the valorisation of fatty acids. Here, we developed a novel direct amide synthesis method through electrochemical ammonia insertion in liquefied ammonia. This method achieves high selectivity (>80%) without additional reagents.