α-Nitro-δ-keto
nitriles and α-nitro-δ-keto ester were readily converted to diazabicyclo compounds having vicinal functionality upon treatment with diamines. The keto nitrile attracts the diamine nearby to an acidic hydrogen to cause the pseudo-intramolecular imination which proceeds efficiently without any catalyst at room temperature.
An alpha-nitro-delta-keto nitrile readily forms the corresponding ammonium salt immediately upon treatment with an amine. When the amine liberated under equilibrium, the nucleophilic amine and the electrophilic keto nitrile come close to each other to afford so-called an intimate pair. The spatial proximity realized an efficient reaction to give a 2-amino-3-nitro-1,4-dihydropyridine; the reaction proceeded like an intramolecular reaction although it is actually an intermolecular reaction, namely the pseudo-intramolecular reaction. The bifunctionality of the keto nitrile also enabled the pseudo-intramolecular imination followed by tandem cyclization leading to diazabicyclic frameworks. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.