Magnesium Powder-Catalyzed, Highly Efficient, Solvent-Free Synthesis of Amides through N-Acetylation of Amines and their Antibacterial Activity

Magnesium powder was found to be an efficient catalyst for the acetylation of amines (1) with Ac2O affording corresponding amides (2) in excellent yields (> 99%). This green synthetic protocol has utilized 2.5 mol% of magnesium powder and a stoichiometric amount of Ac2O (1.2 equiv.). Amides 2a-k were synthesized within a short reaction time (2-3 min) at an ambient temperature under solvent free condition. The products were screened against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis bacterial strains. N-(2-Hydroxyphenyl)acetamide (2f) was found most active against Gram-positive S. aureus and S. epidermidis indicating its efficacy in treating skin diseases.