Nitriles amidine synthesis

The imidazole nucleus is often found in biologically active molecules,3 and a large variety of methods have been employed for their synthesis.4 We recently needed to develop a more viable process for the preparation of kilogram quantities of 2,4-disubstituted imidazoles. The condensation of amidines, which are readily accessible from nitriles,5 with a-halo ketones has become a widely used method for the synthesis of 2,4-disubstituted imidazoles. A literature survey indicated that chloroform was the most commonly used solvent for this reaction.6 In addition to the use of a toxic solvent, yields of the reaction varied from poor to moderate, and column chromatography was often required for product isolation. Use of other solvents such as alcohols,7 DMF,8 and acetonitrile9 have also been utilized in this reaction, but yields are also frequently been reported as poor. 

The synthesis of pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-7(8H)-ones has also been achieved by a microwave-assisted MCR [87-89] that is based on the Victory reaction of 6-oxotetrahydropyridine-3-carbonitrile 57, obtained by reaction of an Q ,/3-unsaturated ester 56 and malonitrile 47 (Z = CN). The one-pot cyclo condensation of 56, amidines 58 and methylene active nitriles 47, either malonitrile or ethyl cyanoacetate, at 100 °C for benzamidine or 140 °C for reactions with guanidine, in methanol in the presence of a catalytic amount of sodium methoxide gave 4-oxo-60 or 4-aminopyridopyrimidines 59, respectively, in only 10 min in a single-mode microwave reactor [87,88]... 

A catch and release synthesis of tetrazoles and cyclic amidines has been reported making use of solid-supported oximes [94]. When bound sulpho-nyloximes, obtained by reacting polymer supported sulfonyl chloride with oximes, were reacted with nucleophiles, tetrazoles or cychc amidines were obtained (Scheme 19). Alternatively, the use of TMS-CN affords imino nitriles, which have been used as intermediates for the preparation of indoles, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyridines, quinoxalines and benzimidazoles. 

A -Silylmethyl-amidines and -thioamides (42) (X=NR or S) undergo alkylation at X with, for example methyl triflate, and then fluorodesilylation to give the azomethine ylides 43 (identical with 38 for the thioamides) (25,26). Cycloaddition followed by elimination of an amine or thiol, respectively, again leads to formal nitrile ylide adducts. These species again showed the opposite regioselectivity in reaction with aldehydes to that of true nitrile ylides. The thioamides were generally thought to be better for use in synthesis than the amidines and this route leads to better yields and less substituent dependence than the water-induced desilylation discussed above. 

The dimethylaminooxazolidone derivative thozalinone (40-3) is described as an antidepressant. The synthesis of this agent again uses a cyanamide, provided in this case as a preformed reagent. Thus, reaction of alkoxide from ethyl mandelate (40-1) with A,A-dimethylcyanamide leads to the amidine (40-2) by addition to the nitrile. Internal displacement of the ester ethoxide group closes the ring to an oxazo-lidinone, forming the product (40-3) [42]. 

The direct synthesis of aryl- or alkyl nitriles from cyanide and organohalide precursors is revered in synthetic chemistry, as the nitriles represent a flexible functionality that can easily be converted into (for example) carboxylic acids, esters, amides, amidines, amines and various hetero cycles [67], such as thiazoles, oxazolidones, triazoles and tetrazoles [68]. The tetrazole group... 

It is well known that the addition of ammonia or amines to nitriles leads to formation of various amidines 32 this type of oligomerization can be applied to the synthesis of heterocycles. On heating in the presence of sodium amide (or benzenesulfonic acid in some cases), o-cyanoaniline produces a mixture of the quinazoline (18) by dimerization and the tricycloquinazoline (19) by trimerization the trimer is obtained when the dimer is heated with another molecule of the monomer and sodium amide at 300°. The mechanism of this condensation has been reviewed.33... 

Nitriles are also the usual products of oxidation of aliphatic amines RCH2NH2 by nickel peroxide and lead(IV) acetate. Aliphatic azo compounds can be prepared from these primary amines by first converting them into ulfamides (6), these then being oxidized with sodium hypochlorite or (better) r butyl hypochlorite (Scheme 9). A few aliphatic azo compounds can be formed in good yield by direct oxidation of r-alkylamines for example, AIBN was formed (86%) by oxidation of the amine Me2C(CN)NH2 with sodium hypochlorite. A special case of azoalkane foimation is the synthesis of chlorodiazirines (7) from amidines RC(= NH)NH2 by oxidation with sodium hypochlorite. ... 

---