Lanthanum triflate catalysed acyl transfer from β-diketones to amines: conversion of aryl methyl ketones to amides.

Lanthanum triflate was found to be an efficient catalyst for the amide formation through acyl transfer from β-diketones to amines overcoming the stable enamine formation pathway. The non-oxidative, C-C cleavage mediated catalytic amidation proceeds under neat or low-solvent conditions and was found to have a broad substrate scope with respect to both amine and β-diketone. Selective acyl transfer from unsymmetrical diketone 2-benzoyl-1-indanone to amine enabled the two-step conversion of aryl methyl ketones to amides.