Nitrile hydration and α-deuteration of amides catalyzed by a PC _NHC P Mn( <scp>i</scp> ) pincer complex

Amides are prevalent structural motifs in nature and important functional groups in synthetic organic chemistry. Amide synthesis typically requires harsh reaction conditions necessitating alternative strategies that are atom economic, catalytic, and easy to perform. Here we present the efficient hydration of nitriles, catalyzed by a manganese(I) PC_NHCP pincer complex, that furnishes a diverse set of amides with excellent functional group compatibility. The reaction occurs at moderate temperatures (90 °C) and produce the corresponding amides in excellent yields (up to 99%). Deuterated amides can also be accessed <i>via</i> subsequent H/D exchange with D₂O using the same catalyst.