Recent advances in transfer hydration of nitriles with amides or aldoximes

[Display omitted] •Metal-catalyzed transfer hydration of nitriles affords primary amides selectively.•Amides and aldoximes are powerful water donors in transfer hydration catalysis.•Transfer hydration reaction is widely used in synthetic scenarios. This digest paper focuses on recent developments in metal-catalyzed transfer hydration of nitriles to afford amides, using amides or aldoximes as water donors. Recent examples of applications in synthetic chemistry are also described.