A comparison of N- versus O-alkylation of substituted 2-pyridones under Mitsunobu conditions

2-Pyridones are well-known ambident nucleophiles which are capable of reacting with electrophiles through either the nitrogen or oxygen atom to form N-alkyl-2-pyridones or 2-alkoxypyridines, respectively. It has been shown that the ratio of these products can be affected by a number of factors including the nature of the electrophile, the base used for deprotonation, and the solvent. We have now discovered a relationship between the ratio of N- and O-alkylation products and the nature of substituents on the pyridone ring when the Mitsunobu reaction is used to alkylate 2-pyridones.