Copper-catalyzed time-dependent easy transformation of aryl/heteroaryl aldehyde into cyano and amide derivatives using ammonium acetate/iodine

Cyano and amide are important functionalities in medicinal chemistry, and organic chemistry transformations. We have devised a new, safe, and easy method for the synthesis of cyano and further amide using aldehyde via copper-mediated cyanation and amidation with ammonium acetate/iodine in DMF in a time-dependent manner. This approach efficiently converts aryl/alkyl/hetero aldehydes into their corresponding cyano which can be isolated after 3 h and/or if continued for 24 h then in-situ transformed into amide derivatives. Herein cupric acetate plays the role of coordinator, ammonium acetate is the nitrogen source, while DMF serves as a carbon source. We did easy and safe cyanation to explore the synthesis of varieties of cyano in 69–86% yields and respective amide derivatives in 58–75% yields. Thus, this process can serve the dual advantage in the synthesis of cyano and amides bioactive scaffold using respective aldehyde.