Studies on the conversion of 3,3‐dimethyl‐2‐butanone into geminal isocyano tosyl alkenes

3,3-Dimethyl-2-butanone (pinacolone) was converted in a two-pot, three-step process in 67% overall yield into (E)-1-isocyano-2,3,3-trimethyl-1-tosyl-1-butene (1), or 1-isocyano-3,3-dimethyl-2-methylene-1-tosylbutane (2), as an important departure from the previously reported one-pot conversion to 2,3,3-trimethylbutanenitrile (13). In addition, the synthesis procedure for 13 has been improved.