Transamidation reactions of 2-(2-sulfonylguanidino)acetamides

The reactivity of a series of sulfonylguanidinoacetamides 2A–E towards amines is reported. Guanidinoacetamides 2A–C, containing the arylsulfonylimino moiety, undergo a facile transamidation to give substituted carboxamides 4A–C, through the imidazolidinone intermediate 3. Acetamide 2D, having a methanesulfonylimino substituent, affords the imidazolidinone 3D and no transamidated carboxamides 4 are detected. In the case of guanidinoacetamide 2E, with a p-nitrobenzenesulfonylimino substituent, a Smiles rearrangement was observed.