An improved synthesis of 2-(1,2,4-thiadiazol-5-yl)pyridine by interception of an intermediate involved in a competing cyclisation reaction

Reaction of thiopicolinamide with N,N′-dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal leads to the formation of 3-(dimethylamino)-1-methylthioimidazo1,5-a]pyridine (3). However, the course of the reaction can be diverted to produce the title compound (1) in good yield by timely interception of the intermediate thioacylamidine (2).