Nickel-Catalyzed Hydrocarbamoylation of Alkenes with Isocyanates

The hydrocarbamoylation of alkenes with isocyanates is a promising method for synthesizing amides. However, applying this strategy to more inert, simple alkenes, such as styrenes, α-olefins, and internal alkenes, poses significant challenges. Here, we report the first nickel-catalyzed hydrocarbamoylation of alkenes with isocyanates, facilitated by triethoxysilane to reduce nickelacycle intermediates. By switching ligands─including 6,6′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine and N-heterocyclic carbene─this method efficiently produces amides from a diverse array of alkenes, including styrenes, α-olefins, internal alkenes, and gaseous olefins.