Ethanolamine → 3-Bromo-5-[(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]-2-pyrazinecarbonitrile

0.061 g (1.00 mmol) of ethanolamine were added slowly at room temperature to a solution of 0.218 g (1.0 mmol) of the 3-bromo-5-chloro-pyrazine-2-carbonitrile and 0.264 g (2.0 mmol) of N-ethyldiisopropylamine in 15.0 ml of dioxane. The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 18 hours. It was subsequently poured into 50 ml of an ice/water/sodium hydrogen carbonate mixture and extracted 3 times with 50 ml of ethylacetate. The combined ethylacetate phases were dried over magnesium sulfate and evaporated under reduced pressure. The residue formed was chromatographed on silica gel with a 100:0 to 95:5 v/v gradient of dichloromethane and methanol as the eluent giving 0.131 g (0.539 mmol, 53.9% of theory) of the 3-bromo-5-(2-hydroxy-ethylamino)-pyrazine-2-carbonitrile as yellow solid; m.p. 158-160° C.; MS: 243 (M)+.