The chlorotropy observed by NMR in this study occurred by the rapid intermolecular transfer of a chloro group between 1-chlorobenzimidazole and benzimidazole in CCl4/CH3OH/K2CO3 solution.

The inverse electron demand Diels-Alder (IEDDA) reaction of 1-tert-butyl-2-aminopyrrole with 2,4,6-tris(trifluoromethyl)-1,3,5-triazine in THF-d(8) to give a pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine was studied by (1)H, (13)C, (15)N, and (19)F NMR spectroscopy, and five intermediates were identified. A zwitterion was the first intermediate detected, and it cyclized to a tricyclic adduct and its conjugate acid. It also gave a neutral imine via a proton switch. The tricyclic adduct underwent a retro-Diels-Alder reaction, but the expected CF(3)CN was not detected. NMR indicated that the amino group of the 2-aminopyrrole was bonded to the CF(3)CN to form a trifluoroacetoamidinium ion. The products of the retro-Diels-Alder reaction reacted rapidly with each other to give the final intermediate observed. Acid-catalyzed loss of an amidine gave the final aromatic product. This is the first study in which direct experimental evidence for the order of the steps in the IEDDA cascade reaction of 1,3,5-triazines with amino-containing dienophiles has been obtained. This study and analogous 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions, in which zwitterions have been detected or proposed, have two factors in common: electronic effects that stabilize the zwitterions and steric effects that inhibit their cyclization.

Reaction of 3-aminopyrrole with seven 1,3,5-triazines was studied in a one-step reaction (in situ formation of 3-aminopyrrole) and a two-step reaction (using the tetraphenylborate salt and an amine base). An inverse-electron demand Diels-Alder reaction (IEDDA) was observed with R1 = CF3, CO2Et, and H with the formation of 5H-pyrrolo[3,2-d]pyrimidine derivatives. S(N)Ar was observed when 2,4,6-trifluoro- or 2,4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine were used--1,3,5-triazines that had leaving groups. If excess 1,3,5-triazine was present the initial S(N)Ar product reacted further, in the presence of acid and water, with another equivalent of 1,3,5-triazine to give compounds containing three linked heterocyclic rings. No reaction was observed with R1 = C6H5 and OCH3. Four mechanisms are proposed to explain the experimental results: uncatalyzed and acid catalyzed inverse electron demand Diels-Alder cascades leading to cycloaddition, and uncatalyzed and acid-catalyzed S(N)Ar reactions leading, respectively, to single and double substitution products. Acid catalysis was a factor when there was reduced reactivity in either reactant.