SHORT COMMUNICATIONSIt is known that 4-oxoalkane-1,1,2,2-tetracarbonitriles react with nitrogen-centered nucleophiles, such as ammonia and amines, to give 3-amino-7-oxo-4,6-diazabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-2-ene-1,2-dicarbonitriles [1], 3-amidinio-2-aminopyridine-4-carboxylates [2], diethylammonium 3,4-dicyano-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinolin-2-olates [3], and ammonium 4-aryl-4-oxo-1,1,2-tricyanobut-2-en-1-ides
[4]. However, these results do not allow us to draw a definite conclusion on the direction of attack by N-nucleophiles on the reaction centers in polyelectrophilic 4-oxoalkane-1,1,2,2-tetracarbonitriles.
While continuing studies on reactions of tetracyanoethylated ketones with N-nucleophiles, we found that 4-aryl-4-oxobutane-1,1,2,2-tetracarbonitriles Ia-Ic react with morpholine to produce 80-93% of previously unknown 5-amino-3-(2-aryl-2-oxoethyl)-2-morpholino-3H-pyrrole-3,4-dicarbonitriles IIa-IIc.
Presumably, the initial step in this reaction is formation of morpholinium salt A with CH acid Ia-Ic.