An efficient synthesis of symmetrical bisamides is described in which aldehydes are reacted with amides in the presence of 5 mol% of iodine to give the corresponding bisamides in high yields under neutral conditions.
A simple and convenient approach to the synthesis of symmetrical N,N′-alkylidine bisamides is described. Aromatic and aliphatic nitriles react with aromatic aldehydes in the presence of sulfamic acid to give the corresponding bisamides in moderate yields.Key words: alkylidine bisamides, nitrile, sulfamic acid.