Nucleophilic imidazole ring medium

There is one example in which part of the amidine system is a C—N bond in a heterocyclic ring. The enamino ketone condensation products (42) of 3-amino-l,2,4-oxadiazoles and 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds cyclize in basic medium to form 60-80% yields of imidazoles. The driving force for this reaction is provided by the well-established, general attack of a nucleophilic centre in the side-chain at N-2 of the heterocyclic ring, but it is unusual in that a carbon nucleophile (rather than an oxygen or nitrogen species) is implicated (Scheme 23). 

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