Alkylation of pyridine‐3,5‐dicarboxamide and pyridine‐3,5‐dicarbonitriles by radical substitution

Structural modification of NAD(P) model compounds, N,N,N',N'‐tetramethylpyridine‐3,5‐dicarboxamide (1), pyridine‐3,5‐dicarbonitrile (2), and 4‐methylpyridine‐3,5‐dicarbonitrile (3), have been explored by the reaction with alkyl radicals such as the 1‐adamantyl, tert‐butyl, and isopropyl radicals. The alkyl substitutions of compounds 1, 2, and 3 with the 1‐adamantyl and the tert‐butyl radical gave both 2‐mono and 2,6‐disubstitution products, whereas the reaction of compound 2 with the isopropyl radical gave 2‐mono 6c, 2,4‐di 7c, 2,6‐di 8c, and 2,4,6‐trisubstitution 9c products.