start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=57 cd-vols= no-issue=61 article-no= start-page=7493 end-page=7496 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2021 dt-pub=202106 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Synthesis of α-substituted indolylacetamide using acetonitriles as acetamide enolate equivalents through O-transfer reactions en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=We introduce readily available ammonium hemiaminals as O-transfer reagents and commercially available acetonitriles as a primary amide enolate precursor. The combination serves as an amide enolate equivalent, thereby providing one-pot access to alpha-substituted indolylacetamides. A broad substrate scope and good functional group tolerance as well as gram-scale synthesis make this protocol highly attractive. Mechanistic experiments suggest that the cyano group is trapped by a hydroxy group of hemiaminals en route to the desired primary amides under metal-free conditions. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=AbeTakumi en-aut-sei=Abe en-aut-mei=Takumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=NodaKenta en-aut-sei=Noda en-aut-mei=Kenta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=SawadaDaisuke en-aut-sei=Sawada en-aut-mei=Daisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= END