Alkylation/elimination from azetidinium ylides: an entry to functionalized acrylonitriles

Azetidinium triflates were reacted in a one-pot two-steps sequence involving, generation of an azetidinium ylide, its alkylation with an halide, and final regioselective Hofmann elimination of the produced alkylated azetidinium ion to yield substituted α,β-unsaturated nitriles bearing an aminoethyl side-chain. The scope of this sequence was examined, and was found to depend both on the steric hindrance around the reactive center in the starting azetidinium salt, and on the nature of the reacting halide. Produced acrylonitriles were further used in DBU-catalyzed conjugate addition of amines, to yield 4-amino-2-aminomethyl-butyronitriles with fair diastereoselectivity, or, alternatively, to give C2 symmetrical cyclopropanes.