Amides in one pot from carboxylic acids and amines via sulfinylamides.

An efficient method has been developed for the direct amidification of carboxylic acids via sulfinylamides preformed in situ by the reaction of pure amines with prop-2-ene-1-sulfinyl chloride. The method can be applied to aliphatic acids, including pivalic acid, aromatic acids, and primary and secondary amines. It is compatible with acids bearing unprotected alcohol, phenol, and ketone moieties and applicable to the synthesis of peptides. It does not induce their α-epimerization.