3-dialkylamino-1,2,4-triazoles via Zn^II-catalyzed acyl hydrazide-dialkylcyanamide coupling

Zinc(II)-catalyzed (10 mol % ZnCl2) coupling of acyl hydrazides and dialkylcyanamides in ethanol leads to 3-dialkylamino-1,2,4-triazoles (76–99%; 17 examples). This reaction represents a novel, straightforward, and high-yielding approach to practically important 3-NR2-1,2,4-triazoles, which utilizes commercially available and/or easily generated substrates. Seventeen new 3-NR2-1,2,4-triazoles were characterized by HRESI+-MS and IR, 1H, and 13C{1H} NMR spectroscopies and five species additionally by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD). The ZnII-catalyzed reaction proceeds via initial generation of the [Zn{RC(=O)NHNH2}3](ZnCl4) complexes (exemplified by isolation of the complex with R = Ph, 76%; characterized by HRESI+-MS, IR, CP-MAS TOSS 13C{1H} NMR, and XRD). Electronic effects of substituents at the acyl hydrazide moiety do not significantly affect the reaction rate and the yield of the target triazoles, whereas the steric hindrances reduce the reaction rate without affecting the yield of the heterocycles.