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Carbamate Synthesis: History
Please note this is an old version of this entry, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Subjects: Chemistry, Organic
Contributor: Helena Kang

Organic carbamates are esters of carbamic acid, R1R2N–C(=O)–OR3, and carbamate synthesis is the set of reactions that construct this N–C(=O)–O triad. Common routes include addition of an alcohol to an isocyanate, acylation of an amine with a chloroformate or carbonyl imidazole, and three-component coupling of an amine, carbon dioxide, and an alkyl halide [1]. Direct catalytic conversion of CO2, an amine, and an alcohol or alkylating agent to a carbamate, including zinc-catalyzed variants, incorporates CO2 as the carbonyl source [2]. Selective reaction of primary amines with carbonyl-imidazole reagents can be directed toward carbamate rather than amide products by choice of the electrophilic partner [3]. The defining structural criterion is the carbamate functional group, which distinguishes the process from urea synthesis (N–C(=O)–N), carbonate synthesis (O–C(=O)–O), and amide synthesis (N–C(=O)–C). Stimulus-cleavable α-alkoxy carbamates illustrate that the same functional group can be assembled so that later fragmentation releases an alcohol, but the synthetic concept itself is formation of the carbamate, not its subsequent cleavage.

  • carbamate synthesis
  • organic carbamates
  • carbon dioxide
  • amine–carbonyl coupling

Synthesis and Catalytic Reactions • Organic Chemistry • Chemistry • Physical Sciences

References

  1. Ralph N. Salvatore; Seung Il Shin; Advait S. Nagle; Kyung Woon Jung; Efficient Carbamate Synthesis via a Three-Component Coupling of an Amine, CO2, and Alkyl Halides in the Presence of Cs2CO3 and Tetrabutylammonium Iodide. J. Org. Chem. 2001, 66, 1035-1037, 10.1021/jo001140u.
  2. Qiao Zhang; Hao‐Yu Yuan; Norihisa Fukaya; Hiroyuki Yasuda; Jun‐Chul Choi; A Simple Zinc Catalyst for Carbamate Synthesis Directly from CO2. ChemSusChem 2017, 10, 1501-1508, 10.1002/cssc.201601878.
  3. Steve P. Rannard; Nicola J. Davis; The Selective Reaction of Primary Amines with Carbonyl Imidazole Containing Compounds: Selective Amide and Carbamate Synthesis. Org. Lett. 2000, 2, 2117-2120, 10.1021/ol006020n.
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