Amidation manganese-catalysed

Partial hydration of nitriles to form amides is accomplished under mildly basic conditions, when catalysed by the addition of manganese pentacarbonyl bromide and benzyltriethylammonium chloride [30]. Yields are considerably reduced in the absence of the ammonium salt. 

Aryl alkyl ketones (e.g. 161) can be converted to amides (e.g. 162), with a loss of the alkyl group, by reaction with a carbodiimide. This unusual C -C arbonyi single-bond cleavage is catalysed by manganese complexes such as [HMn(CO)4l3 or Mn2(CO)io-Aryl isocyanates, Ar-N=C=0, are mechanistically implicated, as the reaction can also be carried out using such isocyanates, and indeed, two isocyanate molecules can be converted to the corresponding carbodiimide using either catalyst. ... 

A facile synthesis of imides by manganese ion-catalysed peroxide oxidation of amides is reported. The direct conversion of cyclic anhydrides into imide carbamates is noted use is made of alkoxycyanates, thermal rearrangement of the intermediate (100) being proposed (Scheme 33). 

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