Tetrakis(dimethylamido)diboron and tetrahydroxydiboron are herein reported as new catalysts for the synthesis of aryl amides by catalytic condensation of aromatic carboxylic acids with amines. The developed protocol is both simple and highly efficient over a broad range of substrates. This method thus represents an attractive approach for the use of diboron catalysts in the synthesis of amides without having to resort to stoichiometric or additional dehydrating agents.

A metal-free, biomimetic catalytic protocol for the cyclization of N-(2-hydroxyethyl)­amides to the corresponding 2-oxazolines (4,5-dihydrooxazoles), promoted by the 1,3,5,2,4,6-triazatriphosphorine (TAP)-derived organocatalyst tris­(o-phenylenedioxy)­cyclotriphosphazene (TAP-1) has been developed. This approach requires less precatalyst compared to the reported relevant systems, with respect to the phosphorus atom (the maximum turnover number (TON) ∼ 30), and exhibits a broader substrate scope and higher functional-group tolerance, providing the functionalized 2-oxazolines with retention of the configuration at the C(4) stereogenic center of the 2-oxazolines. Widely accessible β-amino alcohols can be used in this approach, and the cyclization of N-(2-hydroxyethyl)­amides provides the desired 2-oxazolines in up to 99% yield. The mechanism of the reaction was studied by monitoring the reaction using spectral and analytical methods, whereby an 18 O-labeling experiment furnished valuable insights. The initial step involves a stoichiometric reaction between the substrate and TAP-1, which leads to the in situ generation of the catalyst, a catechol cyclic phosphate, as well as to a pyrocatechol phosphate and two possible active intermediates. The dehydrative cyclization was also successfully conducted on the gram scale.