Ammonium Chloride‐Promoted Rapid Synthesis of Monosubstituted Ureas under Microwave Irradiation

Abstract Monosubstituted ureas are important scaffolds in organic chemistry. They appear in various biologically active compounds and serve as versatile precursors in synthesis. Monosubstituted ureas were originally prepared using toxic and hazardous phosgene equivalents. Modern methods include transamidation of urea and nucleophilic addition to cyanate salts, both of which suffer from a narrow substrate scope due to the need for a strong acid and prolonged reaction times. We hereby report that ammonium chloride can promote the reaction between amines and potassium cyanate to generate monosubstituted ureas in water. This method proceeds rapidly under microwave irradiation and tolerates a broad range of functional groups. Unlike previous strategies, it is compatible with other nucleophiles, acid‐labile moieties, and most of the common protecting groups. The products precipitate out of solution, allowing facile isolation without column chromatography.