Preparation of a novel copper-containing coordination polymer and its application in the catalytic aldehyde-exchanged amidation reaction

Abstract

The synthesis of bioactive amides has long stood as a pivotal research focus in synthetic chemistry, given their widespread applications in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and materials science. Addressing the demand for efficient, sustainable synthetic strategies, herein we report the development of a copper-based composite material functionalized with a pyrazole tricarboxylic acid ligand, which serves as a robust catalyst for the direct exchange amidation of aldehydes. Key advances include: (1) a 1,3-hydrogen atom transfer cascade that enables the direct conversion of commercially availadeble aldehydes to acyl radicals without pre-functionalization; (2) integration of hydrogen borrowing with copper catalysis to promote the efficient amidation; (3) the use of low-cost copper salts as the catalytic core endows the system with enhanced stability and recyclability, offering a distinct advantage over precious metal-based catalytic systems. Collectively, these features converge to provide a green, practical, and scalable synthetic route for accessing bioactive amides.