Regioselectively Controlled Synthesis of N-Substituted (Trifluoromethyl)pyrimidin-2(1H)-ones

A simple and regioselectively controlled method for the preparation of both 1,4- and 1,6-regioisomers of 1-substituted 4(6)-trifluoromethyl-pyrimidin-2(1H)-ones is described. Both regioisomers were synthesized from the cyclocondensation reaction of 4-substituted 1,1,1-trifluoro-4-methoxybut-3-en-2-ones: with nonsymmetric ureas for the 1-substituted 4-(trifluoromethyl)pyrimidin-2(1H)-ones (1,4-isomer) and with nonsymmetric 1-substituted 2-methylisothiourea sulfates for the synthesis of 1-substituted 6-(trifluoromethyl)pyrimidin-2(1H)-ones (1,6-isomer). Each method furnished only the respective isomer in very good yields. The structure of the products was assigned based on the (1)H and (13)C NMR as well as 2D HMBC spectral analysis.