Patent ID: 8178723

Claim:
A process for preparing an amide, comprising the step of reacting a primary amine and a primary alcohol in the presence of a Ruthenium catalyst represented by the structure of any one of formulae A1, A2 or A3: wherein L 1 is NR 2 ; L 2 is selected from the group consisting of nucleophilic carbene (:CR 2 ), PR 2 , P(OR) 2 , NR 2 , imine, SR, SH, S(═O)R, heteroaryl wherein the heteroatom is selected from nitrogen and sulfur, AsR 2 , SbR 2 and an N-heterocyclic carbene represented by the structure: wherein each of R, R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkylaryl, heterocyclyl and heteroaryl; L 3 is a mono-dentate two-electron donor selected from the group consisting of CO, PR 3 , P(OR) 3 , NO + , AsR 3 , SbR 3 , SR 2 , nitrile (RCN) and isonitrile (RNC) wherein R is as defined above; L 4 is absent or is L 3 ; Y and Z are each independently H or an anionic ligand selected from the group consisting of halogen, OCOR, OCOCF 3 , OSO 2 R, OSO 2 CF 3 , CN, OH, OR, NR 2 , RS and SH; wherein R is as defined above; X represents zero, one, two or three substituents selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl, halogen, nitro, amide, ester, cyano, alkoxy, cycloalkyl, alkylaryl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl, an inorganic support and a polymeric moiety; and anion represents a group bearing a single negative charge; thereby generating the amide and molecular hydrogen, wherein the process is conducted either with (a) Ruthenium catalyst A1 in the absence of a base; or (b) Ruthenium catalyst A2 or A3 in the presence of one or two equivalents of base relative to the amount of the Ruthenium catalyst.