Chemistry of Diborane and Sodium Borohydride. VIII. Imidate Formation from Nitriles with Sodium Borohydride

Abstract

The reaction of heteroaromatic nitriles with trace of sodium borohydride in alcohol was examined.Cyano group substituted at α-position of heteroatoms was easily converted to the corresponding imidate.It was also possible to convert selectively one cyano group to the ester group without any change of the other cyano groups.