The umpolung of substituent effect in nucleophilic aromatic substitution. A new approach to the synthesis of N,N-disubstituted melamines (triazine triskelions) under mild reaction conditions

By the umpolung of substituent effect 1,3,5-triazines substituted with three dialkylamino groups were prepared under mild reaction conditions by treatment of cyanuric chloride with tertiary amines. Quaternary N-triazinylammonium salts were identified as reactive intermediates activating the triazine ring and strongly promoting the persubstitution of all chlorine atoms. The final degradation of intermediate N-triazinylammonium chlorides proceeded at room temperature or in boiling dichloromethane spontaneously within irreversible evolution of appropriate chloroalkane.