Reactions of hydroxylamines with ethyl cyanoformate. Preparation of aminonitrones and their synthetic applications

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(01)88224-7

The reaction of hydroxylamines with ethyl cyanoformate 1 leads to the formation of carbethoxyamino nitrones. 2. UV spectroscopy provided information that suggested the nitrone structure for these compounds in solution. X-ray analysis of 2a confirmed that it exists entirely in the nitrone form in the solid state. These nitrones are shown to be excellent starting materials for a variety of nitrogen containing compounds, namely, imidazoles, benzimidazoles, benzimidazolones, oxadiazolones, N-arylamidines and quinoxalone.