Mechanistic Analysis and Development of Direct and Catalysed Coupling of Carboxylic Acids with Amines. Disentangling the Enigma

The ability of some amine-acid combinations to generate amides from direct dehydrative coupling suggests there are other interactions occurring in this reaction which are unidentified. The mechanism of this process is not well understood with multiple unproven hypotheses. Similarly the influence of chemical specificity of the amine-acid pairs that react in this way altering the reaction kinetics are also unclear. This research project will apply the full physical organic toolbox to investigate these enigmatic processes to provide some insight into the underlying mechanism. The resulting information learned will be applied to formulate new optimum conditions catalysts and processes for efficient and 'clean' amide generation from amines and acids.