A method for the catalytic cleavage of primary amide-containing compounds; said method comprising the steps of: - providing a primary amide-containing (H 2 N-CO-) compound; - converting said compound into an ACDG-containing (amide-cleaving directing group-containing) compound, by introducing an amide-cleaving directing group (ACDG), according to the formula (Ia), on the nitrogen atom of said amide, resulting in the formation of an N -ACDG amide of formula ACDG-NH-CO-; wherein X is selected from C, N, O or S. Y is selected from C, N or S; or Y = O or S and R 1 is absent n is selected from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8. R 1, R 2 and R 3 are each independently selected from the list comprising: hydrogen, aryl, heteroaryl, heteroarylalkyl, arylalkyl, C 1-10 alkyl, C 1-10 alkenyl, C 1-25 alkynyl, trifluoromethyl, cyano, nitro, halo, thio, hydroxyl, amino, acylamino, C 1-10 alkoxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, C 1-10 alkylthio, C 1-10 alkylamino, C 1-10 dialkylamino, C 1-10 alkoxycarbonyl, C 1-10 alkyl esters, C 1-10 alkyl aryl amino, C 1-10 alkyl heteroaryl amino, diheteroarylamino, diarylamino, aryl heteroarylamino, arylthio, heteroarylthio; wherein each of said aryl, heteroaryl or alkyl is optionally and independently substituted with from 1 to 5 substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, aryl, heteroaryl, C 1-10 alkyl, trifluoromethyl, C 1-10 alkoxy, C 1-10 alkoxycarbonyl, trifluoromethoxy, C 1-10 alkylthio, cyano, C 1-10 alkylamino, nitro, hydroxyl, carbonyl, amino, oxime, imino, azido, hydrazine, acyl, C 1-10 alkylamino, C 1-10 dialkylamino, carboxylic acid, acylamino, C 1-10 alkyl esters, carbamate, thioamido, urea, sulfonamido, alkylsulfoxide, haloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, arylalkyl, heteroarylalkyl, alkylcarbonylaminoalkyl, aryloxy, arylcarbonyl, arylamino, heteroarylamino, C 1-10 alkyl aryl amino, C 1-10 alkyl heteroaryl amino, diarylamino, diheteroarylamino, aryl heteroarylamino, arylthio, heteroarylthio, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy; - - - is an optional chemical bond; if one or more optional chemical bonds are present, a polycyclic structure is meant; - cleaving said ACDG-containing compound (namely the N -ACDG amide) in the presence of a (hetero)nucleophile; and a metal catalyst according to formula Ib, or a salt, solvate or hydrate thereof M y L x (Ib) wherein M is a metal selected from Zn, Mn, Ni or Co; preferably Zn; L represents a carboxylate ligand, preferably an acetate ligand; x is selected from 0-30; and y is selected from 1, 2, 3 or 4; most preferably 1; said N -ACDG amide is the compound having the structure ACDG-NH-CO-, and within the scope of our definition of N -ACDG amide we include groups in which the structural unit ACDG-NHCO-is part of a larger group or structural entity, namely: urea, oxamide, carbamate, thiocarbamate; said (hetero)nucleophile may be comprised in said ACDG-containing compound. - providing a primary amide-containing (H 2 N-CO-) compound; - converting said compound into an ACDG-containing (amide-cleaving directing group-containing) compound, by introducing an amide-cleaving directing group (ACDG), according to the formula (Ia), on the nitrogen atom of said amide, resulting in the formation of an N -ACDG amide of formula ACDG-NH-CO-; wherein X is selected from C, N, O or S. Y is selected from C, N or S; or Y = O or S and R 1 is absent n is selected from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8. R 1, R 2 and R 3 are each independently selected from the list comprising: hydrogen, aryl, heteroaryl, heteroarylalkyl, arylalkyl, C 1-10 alkyl, C 1-10 alkenyl, C 1-25 alkynyl, trifluoromethyl, cyano, nitro, halo, thio, hydroxyl, amino, acylamino, C 1-10 alkoxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, C 1-10 alkylthio, C 1-10 alkylamino, C 1-10 dialkylamino, C 1-10 alkoxycarbonyl, C 1-10 alkyl esters, C 1-10 alkyl aryl amino, C 1-10 alkyl heteroaryl amino, diheteroarylamino, diarylamino, aryl heteroarylamino, arylthio, heteroarylthio; wherein each of said aryl, heteroaryl or alkyl is optionally and independently substituted with from 1 to 5 substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, aryl, heteroaryl, C 1-10 alkyl, trifluoromethyl, C 1-10 alkoxy, C 1-10 alkoxycarbonyl, trifluoromethoxy, C 1-10 alkylthio, cyano, C 1-10 alkylamino, nitro, hydroxyl, carbonyl, amino, oxime, imino, azido, hydrazine, acyl, C 1-10 alkylamino, C 1-10 dialkylamino, carboxylic acid, acylamino, C 1-10 alkyl esters, carbamate, thioamido, urea, sulfonamido, alkylsulfoxide, haloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, arylalkyl, heteroarylalkyl, alkylcarbonylaminoalkyl, aryloxy, arylcarbonyl, arylamino, heteroarylamino, C 1-10 alkyl aryl amino, C 1-10 alkyl heteroaryl amino, diarylamino, diheteroarylamino, aryl heteroarylamino, arylthio, heteroarylthio, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy; - - - is an optional chemical bond; if one or more optional chemical bonds are present, a polycyclic structure is meant; - cleaving said ACDG-containing compound (namely the N -ACDG amide) in the presence of a (hetero)nucleophile; and a metal catalyst according to formula Ib, or a salt, solvate or hydrate thereof M y L x (Ib) wherein M is a metal selected from Zn, Mn, Ni or Co; preferably Zn; L represents a carboxylate ligand, preferably an acetate ligand; x is selected from 0-30; and y is selected from 1, 2, 3 or 4; most preferably 1; said N -ACDG amide is the compound having the structure ACDG-NH-CO-, and within the scope of our definition of N -ACDG amide we include groups in which the structural unit ACDG-NHCO-is part of a larger group or structural entity, namely: urea, oxamide, carbamate, thiocarbamate; said (hetero)nucleophile may be comprised in said ACDG-containing compound.