A single vessel protocol for the efficient formation of amide bonds from esters and lactones

A single vessel solution phase protocol for the formation of amide bonds from esters or lactones has been developed. The process involves hydrolysis of the ester or lactone followed by amide bond formation utilizing resin-bound carbodiimide. Excess reagents and reactants are sequestered using polymer-supported scavengers to yield the desired products in high yields and purities without the need for extraction or chromatography.