An Unexpected Ring-opening in the Reissert Reaction On 2,3-diphenylquinoxaline-n-oxide

When quinoxaline-N-oxide 1 is reacted with KCN and benzoyl chloride in water (the Reissert reaction) or methanol, the products are 2-,5- and 6- chloroquinoxaline (the latter being the major product: 42±6 %) and small amounts of 2-cyanoquinoxaline. Using three equivalents of trimethylsilyl cyanide instead of KCN, and dichloromethane as the solvent, leads to a 72 % yield of 2-cyanoquinoxaline. The reaction of trimethylsilyl cyanide and benzoyl chloride with 2,3-diphenylquinoxaline-N-oxide 2 leads to an unexpected ring-opening product 13; its structure is based on spectroscopic data and on an X-ray crystallographic analysis.