Amidation and esterification of carboxylic acids with amines and phenols by N,N′-diisopropylcarbodiimide: A new approach for amide and ester bond formation in water

Abstract The present study reports the successful synthesis of two important and abundant functional groups "ester and amide" by N,N′-diisopropylcarbodiimide (DIC) in water as a green solvent. A wide range of substrates could be employed with high functional group tolerance. The products were obtained in high yields after short reaction times. This method provides an efficient, economic, simple and very mild protocol for ester and amide bond formation in aqueous media. In addition, this work not only may lead to environmentally benign systems but also will provide a new aspect of organic chemistry in water.