N,N-Dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal (DMFDMA): from derivatisation to C1 synthon

N,N-Dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal (DMFDMA), also called 1,1-dimethoxy-N,N-dimethylmethanamine, is a colorless liquid with rancid odour. The chemical structure of DMFDMA presents two important sites, a partially positive carbon that acts as an electrophile in condensation reactions and a partially negative nitrogen that acts as a nucleophile. Because of its structure, DMFDMA reacts with many different organic groups and can be a versatile reagent used in gas chromatography, as a protecting group and as a C1 synthon, especially in the construction of heterocycles.