Unexpected O-H Insertion of Rhodium-Azavinylcarbenes with N-Acylhydrazones: Divergent Synthesis of 3,6-Disubstituted- and 3,5,6-Trisubstituted-1,2,4-Triazines.

A practical and efficient method for divergent synthesis of 3,6-disubstituted- and 3,5,6-trisubstituted-1,2,4-triazines via unexpected rhodium-catalyzed O-H insertion/rearrangement/conditions-controlled intramolecular cyclization and oxidation reaction under mild conditions has been developed. Notably, it is the first example for the synthesis of 1,2,4-triazines with different substituted-patterns via a common intermediate with excellent chemoselectivities by the reaction of N-acylhydrazones as aze-[3C] or [4C] synthons with N-sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles as aze-[2C] synthons. Furthermore, this method allows direct access to di(het)aryl ketone frameworks containing 1,2,4-triazine moiety for the first time, serving as a versatile building block for the synthesis of other useful heterocyclic skeletons, such as pyridine or pyridazinone-fused triazine in excellent yields.