Studies on 3-oxoalkanenitriles: novel rearrangement reactions observed in studies of the chemistry of 3-heteroaroyl-3-oxoalkanenitriles as novel routes to 2-dialkylaminopyridines

3-Aroyl and 3-heteroaroyl substituted 3-oxoalkanenitriles were synthesized by the reactions of activated aromatic and hetero-aromatic substances with cyanoacetic acid in the presence of acetic anhydride. As part of studies focusing on the preparation of cyanoacetyl-1-N-methylbenzimidazole, we observed that reaction of N-methyl-benzimidazole with the cyanoanhydride formed by condensation of cyanoacetic acid with acetic anhydride, leads to the formation of 2-(1,3-diacetyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[d]-imidazol-2-yl)acetonitrile (5), whose structure was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. 3-Oxoalkanenitriles 3a,b were observed to undergo condensation reactions with dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal (DMFDMA) to afford the corresponding enamino-nitriles, which react with malononitrile to give 2-dialkylaminopyridines through a pathway involving a new, unexpected rearrangement process. Reactions of 3-oxoalkanenitriles with ethyl acetoacetate were found to afford 2-oxopyran-3-carbonitriles, also occurring via this unexpected rearrangement process. Mechanisms to account for both rearrangement reactions are suggested. In addition, reactions of 3-oxoalkanenitriles with acetylacetone in acetic acid in the presence of ammonium acetate result in the formation of pyridine-3-carbonitriles. Finally, upon heating in the presence of zeolite 3-oxoalkanenitriles 3b,c self-trimerized to produce the corresponding aniline derivatives 23b,c.