Graphene Oxide as a Metal-free Carbocatalyst for Direct Amide Synthesis from Carboxylic Acid and Amine Under Solvent-Free Reaction Condition

Herein, a highly efficient, metal-free, carbocatalyst, graphene oxide (GO) has been screened for the direct amidation of carboxylic acids with amines. The present catalytic system accessed a broad range of substrates to afford amides in excellent yields. A plausible reaction mechanism involving H-bonding with the reactants is described. Furthermore, the GO can be recycled and reused up to five cycles without substantial loss in catalytic activity.