Lewis acid-catalyzed synthesis of 4-aminopyrimidines: A scalable industrial process
Pyrimidine synthesis starting from acrylonitrile has been known since the 1960s. The new Lewis acid-catalyzed condensation reaction allows the synthesis of 4-aminopyrimidines starting from the easily accessible chemical acrylonitrile without the need for carcinogenic chemicals and costly derivatization in up to 90% yield. The method is versatile and applicable for industrial-scale synthesis of biologically relevant substances such as vitamin B1 and trimethoprim.