Facile one-pot syntheses of amidines and enamines from oximes via Beckmann rearrangement using trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride

Iminocarbocation intermediates were in situ-generated by treating various oximes with trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride (Tf2O) in the presence of triethylamine in toluene and nucleophilic trapping with amines or sodium enolates under mild conditions afforded the corresponding amidines and enamines. Some of the thus-obtained enamines were converted to 2-substituted 4-oxo-3-quinolinecarboxylic acid derivatives by subsequent intramolecular Friedel-Crafts acylation.