The chemistry of formamide acetals

Abstract

The formamide acetals enter into two main categories of reactions, namely alkylation and formylation. As alkylating agents, they have been used in the synthesis of esters from acids, ethers and thioethers from phenols and aromatic and heterocyclic thiols, and the alkylation of active methines. As formylating agents, formamide acetals are useful in the synthesis of enamines from active methylenes and amidines from amines and amides. Also formamide acetals are efficient reagents for the conversion of α-hydroxycarboxylic acids to alkenes while trans-vic-diols yield epoxides. The above conversions as well as othere listed in the review proceed in almost all cases under mild conditions in high yields making these reagents valuable synthetic tools.