Palladium‐Catalyzed Amidation of N‐Tosylhydrazones with Isocyanides

Aminocarbonylation of N-tosylhydrazones: The direct formation of ketenimines from carbenes and isocyanides is limited to the reaction of Fischer carbene complexes or some specially stabilized carbenes with isocyanides. A Pd-catalyzed amidation of N-tosylhydrazones with isocyanides via a ketenimine intermediate in the presence of water is described. The method offers a general way to synthesize amides from carbonyl compounds through one-carbon extension (see scheme).