BF3‑Mediated C2-Amidation of Quinoline N-Oxides Employing Trifluorodiazoethane and Acetonitrile: Access to 2-N-(Trifluoroethyl)amidoquinolines

A Lewis acid-mediated C2-N-trifluoroethylamidation of quinolines, employing quinoline N-oxides, trifluorodiazoethane, and acetonitrile to forge a new class of N-(quinolin-2-yl)-N-(trifluoroethyl)acetamide is presented in this Letter. The reaction proceeds through a carbene generation/nitrile ylide formation/(3 + 2) cycloaddition/rearrangement cascade to furnish quinoline-2-N-(trifluoroethyl)acetamide derivatives in high yields.