Studies on pyrazines. 29 . High regioselective synthesis of chloropyrazines from 3-substituted pyrazine 1-oxides

Reaction of 3-methoxy- or 3-chloropyrazine 1-oxides with refluxing phosphoryl chloride in the presence of amine led to a high regioselective formation of 3-substituted 2-chloropyrazines. In contrast, the use of chloroacetyl chloride instead of phosphoryl chloride enabled different regioselectivity to yield 6-substituted 2-chloropyrazines, particularly 3-methoxycarbonylpyrazine 1-oxide was almost exclusively converted into methyl 6-chloropyrazinecarboxylate under the conditions without the amine.