Chemoselective Reductive Deoxygenation and Reduction of α-Keto Amides by using a Palladium Catalyst

A palladium catalyst is used to synthesize 2,N-diphenylacetamides and α-hydroxy amides from readily available α-keto amides by chemoselective reductive deoxygenation and chemoselective reduction using polymethylhydrosiloxane (PMHS). This methodology has the important advantage in that, just by changing the reaction solvent and temperature, the reaction can be switched from reductive deoxygenation to reduction of α-keto amides. Using this protocol, several biologically important 2,N-diphenylacetamide derivatives and α-hydroxy amides were synthesized.