Oxidative <i>N</i>‐Formylation of Amines to Formamides

Abstract Formamides are an important class of amine chemicals with a wide range of applications in industry, synthetic chemistry, and materials, and their synthesis has gained increasing attention. Among the various methods developed, oxidative N ‐formylation of amines with methanol, formaldehyde, and non‐C1 feedstocks constitutes an attractive one, especially using green oxidants, such as air, O 2 , and H 2 O 2 , due to satisfied production efficiency, mild reaction conditions, and effective cost. Although great progress has been made in this direction, a review focusing on this aspect remains scarce. This review summarizes the recent development on the oxidative N ‐formylation of amines to formamides according to the kinds of formyl sources and oxidants.