Breaking good: The amide bond is widely recognized as the strongest bond among the carboxylic acid derivatives. Therefore, the potential of amides to serve as synthetic building blocks has remained mostly untapped thus far. This Highlight describes a recent breakthrough that enables the catalytic conversion of amides into esters for the first time.

The synthesis of α-amino carbonyl/carboxyl compounds is a contemporary challenge in organic synthesis. Herein, we present a stereoselective α-amination of amides employing simple azides that proceeds under mild conditions with release of nitrogen gas. The amide is used as the limiting reagent, and through simple variation of the azide pattern, various differently substituted aminated products can be obtained. The reaction is fully chemoselective for amides even in the presence of esters or ketones and lends itself to preparation of optically enriched products.

One ring to bring them all: 4,5‐Spirocycles derived from 3‐oxetanone and β‐heteroatom‐substituted amino compounds undergo a Lewis acid mediated reaction cascade to form saturated nitrogen heterocycles. The unique reactivity of 3‐oxetanone facilitates access to biologically important morpholines, piperazines, and thiomorpholines with an otherwise difficult‐to‐access substitution pattern from readily available starting materials.

The first total synthesis of the marine polyketide (±)-hippolachnin A has been achieved in nine linear steps and an overall yield of 9%. Rapid access to the oxacyclobutapentalene core structure was secured by strategic application of an ene cyclization.

An efficient metal-free oxyarylation of electron-poor alkynes with pyridine N-oxides has been developed. This transformation affords meta-substituted pyridines analogous to the drug metyrapone in high regioselectivities. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations provided important insight into the mechanism. Evaluation of the inhibitory properties revealed the most active CYP11B1 inhibitor of these derivatives, with two-digit nanomolar inhibitory activity akin to that of metyrapone.