Nitriles trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride

A new approach to the synthesis of 2,4,5-trisubstituted and 2,5-disubstituted oxazoles, 97 and 98, used l-(methylthio)acetone 95 with nitriles in the presence of trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride. The proposed mechanism involves an unstable 1-(methylthio)-2-oxopropyl triflate 96 which was detected using NMR spectroscopy <06JOC3026>. 

Aldehyde 26 was treated with hydroxylamine hydrochloride in refluxing methanol to give a mixture of (E)- and (Z)-pyrrolotriazine 40 in 59% and 21% yield, respectively. Dehydration of aldoxime 40 with trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride and triethylamine in dichloromethane afforded triazine 41. Conversion of the nitrile 41 to the deprotected amide 42 was accomplished in 96% yield on treatment of 41 with basic hydrogen peroxide in ethanol <2001CAR77>. 

A new route to 4-substituted pyrimidines involves the condensation of nitriles with iV-vinyl amides which are activated by trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride and 2-chloropyridine <2006JA14254>. The method is illustrated by the synthesis of 4-cyclohexyl-2,5-diphenylpyrimidine 627 from A-styrylbenzamide 625 and cyclohexanecarboni-trile 626 in 89% yield <2006JA14254>. 

The synthesis of quinazoline derivatives by the addition of N(3)-C(4) fragment units has not previously been a major synthetic route, but 2,4-dialkyl, alkyl/aryl, and diaryl quinazolines 865 are now readily available by a new procedure that involves activation of A -arylamides 864 with trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride and 2-chloropyridine, and subsequent addition of nitriles <2006JA14254>. Either normal or microwave heating can be used to perform the final ring-closure step. 

Tetrazoles are usually prepared by the reaction of an azide with a nitrile, or an activated amide tri-n-butyltin azide and trimethylsilyl azide are more convenient and safer reagents than azide anion is some cases. The second example shown illustrates the use of a cyanoethyl group as a removable protecting group for amide nitrogen. Other variations on this method from nitriles include the use of triethylammonium chloride (instead of ammonium chloride) to avoid the possible sublimation of potentially explosive azides, and the use of micelles as reaction media. Amides can be activated with trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride, or via formation of the thioamide, or by the use of triphenylphosphine with diethyl azodicarboxylate the equivalent imidochloride will react under phase transfer conditions. ... 

An improved and convenient preparation of pyrimidines and condensed pyrimidines from ketones and nitriles was reported. In the presence of acetonitrile, the cation generated from methyl ethyl ketone with trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride is trapped by the nucleophile, whereby a resonance-stabilized nitrilium species is formed. A second molecule of nitrile reacts with nitrilium intermediate, and after elimination of triflic acid, cyclization, and loss of a proton, the pyrimidine product was obtained in a useful yield. The formation of pyrimidines is accompanied by a minimum... 

Condensation of ketones with two mole equivalents of a nitrile in the presence of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid anhydride is a nsefnl method for the production of a limited range of pyrimidines, where the substituents at C-2 and C-4 are identical. ... 

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