p-Toluenesulfonylmethyl Isocyanide (TosMIC)

p-Toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide (TosMIC) is one of the most versatile and widely applicable reagents in organic synthesis. The methylene group of TosMIC is highly activated (pKa = 14) by the two electron-withdrawing substituents. Deprotonation of TosMIC has been achieved with an array of bases ranging from K2CO3 in MeOH to n-BuLi in THF. TosMIC is considered as a formaldehyde equivalent with reversible polarity. The reagent is a stable solid (mp 116-117 °C) that is commercially available, or can be prepared from p-toluenesulfonic acid [1] in a two-step process. Many heterocycles, such as oxazole, pyrrole, ­imidazole, thiazole and 1,3,4-triazole, can be synthesized from TosMIC.