Copper(ii)-mediated, carbon degradation-based amidation of phenylacetic acids toward N-substituted benzamides.

The unprecedented synthesis of N-aryl substituted benzamides via the assembly of primary amines and phenylacetic acids has been developed in the presence of copper(ii) acetate. This tandem transformation involving carbon-carbon bond cleavage provides a complementary tool with particular application in the synthesis of secondary benzamides.