Copper catalyzed N-arylation between aryl halides and nitriles in water: an efficient tandem synthesis of benzanilides

A series of benzanilide compounds were synthesized through copper-catalyzed tandem reactions. With the assistance of ionic liquid as phase transfer catalyst, aryl halides, and nitriles underwent a hydrolysis/coupling pathway to form benzanilides in water. Advantages of this reaction include the use of water as the environmental friendly solvent, short reaction time, and the tolerance of various functional groups. A proposed mechanism based on control experiments is also presented.