Ritter reaction for the synthesis of picolinamides

The synthesis of picolinamides through Ritter reaction of 2-cyanopyridine with alcohols and alkenes is reported. Moreover, a range of additional heteroaryl nitriles successfully participate in the amidation reaction. Salient features of the reaction include the operational simplicity and the inexpensive reagents used. The synthetic utility of a camphene derived picolinamide is demonstrated through a palladium-catalyzed C–H arylation reaction.