Ethyl isocyanoacetate is used in the syntheses of 7-aza-tetrahydroindoles, oxazolines, benzodiazepines, imidazoles and oxazoles. For example, it is involved in the synthesis of 1H-indole-2-carboxylate by condensing with 2-bromo benzenealdehyde using CuI as a catalyst. It is a precursor used in the preparation of ethyl thiazole-4-carboxylate upon reaction with O-ethyl thioformate.
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Applications
Ethyl isocyanoacetate is used in the syntheses of 7-aza-tetrahydroindoles, oxazolines, benzodiazepines, imidazoles and oxazoles. For example, it is involved in the synthesis of 1H-indole-2-carboxylate by condensing with 2-bromo benzenealdehyde using CuI as a catalyst. It is a precursor used in the preparation of ethyl thiazole-4-carboxylate upon reaction with O-ethyl thioformate.
Solubility
Miscible with organic solvents. Slightly miscible with water.
Notes
Store in cool place. Moisture and light sensitive. Keep the container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. Incompatible with strong oxidizing agents and strong bases.
RUO – Research Use Only
Base-catalyzed Michael addition to nitroalkenes provides a route to substituted pyrroles, valuable as intermediates for porphyrin synthesis: J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun., 1098 (1985); Tetrahedron, 46, 7483, 7587 (1990); Org. Synth. Coll., 9, 242 (1998).
The method has been extended to nitroaromatics, leading to pyrroles and porphyrins fused with aromatic rings: J. Chem. Soc., Perkin 1, 417 (1996).
The terminal carbon also undergoes nucleophilic attack on an acyl chloride to give an ɑ-keto imidoyl chloride, which cyclizes in base to a 2-acyl-5-ethoxy oxazole: Synth. Commun., 26, 1149 (1996).
Kondratov, I. S.; Dolovanyuk, V. G.; Tolmachova, N. A.; Gerus, I. I.; Bergander, K.; Fröhlich, R.; Haufe, G. Reactions of β-alkoxyvinyl polyfluoroalkyl ketones with ethyl isocyanoacetate and its use for the synthesis of new polyfluoroalkyl pyrroles and pyrrolidines. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2012, 10 (44), 8778-8785.
Baumann, M.; Garcia, A. M. R.; Baxendale, I. R. Flow synthesis of ethyl isocyanoacetate enabling the telescoped synthesis of 1, 2, 4-triazoles and pyrrolo-[1, 2-c] pyrimidines. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2015, 13 (14), 4231-4239.