Preparation of 2-hydroxybenzamidines from 3-aminobenzisoxazoles

Abstract 2-Hydroxybenzamidines have been prepared from 3-aminobenzisoxazoles by reductive cleavage of the nitrogen–oxygen bond using catalytic hydrogenation, Zn/AcOH or NiCl 2 /NaBH 4 . This ring-opening reaction can be accomplished chemoselectively in the presence of a variety of hydrogenation-sensitive functional groups including an aryl bromide, benzyl carbamate, and olefin.