Transition Metal-Catalyzed Oxidative Carbonylation of Amines to Ureas

The synthesis of ureas from amines has traditionally been accomplished with stoichiometric reactions of phosgene or its derivatives, which are associated with environmental and waste disposal issues. Because of the prevalence of urea moieties in molecules of interest for several applications, alternative catalytic routes for the oxidative conversion of amines to ureas using CO as the carbonyl source have been developed. This microreview discusses recent developments in transition metal‐catalyzed oxidative carbonylation of amines to ureas as an alternative to phosgene and its derivatives. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007)