Uncommon Phosphonylation of Pyrazine‐2,3‐dicarbonitrile Derivatives via C(sp2)−CN Bond Cleavage

Abstract

AbstractA direct phosphonylation of the C(sp2)−CN bond under mild catalytic and non‐catalytic reaction conditions is disclosed. Pyrazine‐2,3‐dicarbonitriles are readily coupled with HPO(OEt)2 to produce the corresponding dialkoxyphosphoryl‐substituted pyrazines. The phosphonylation reaction occurs in the presence of a base (Et3N, Cs2CO3) as nucleophilic substitution of the CN groups. The yield of target diphosphonates depends on the nature of substituents in the 5,6‐positions of the pyrazine ring: it exceeds 90 % for di‐5,6‐aryl‐substituted pyrazines and is significantly lower when electron‐donating alkyl (n‐propyl) groups are attached to the 5,6‐positions. It should be noted that for pyrazine‐2,3‐dicarbonitriles bearing vicinal 4‐bromophenyl groups, the nucleophilic phosphonylation leading to C−CN/P−H coupling in the pyrazine ring is predominant over Pd‐catalyzed Hirao's C−Br/P−H coupling reaction in phenyl rings. Detailed structural characterization, both in solution by means of 1H, 13C and 31P NMR spectroscopy and in the solid state by single crystal X‐ray diffraction, of a series of newly synthesized pyrazine phosphonates is reported.