Treatment of 2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oic acid (I) with oxalyl chloride in dichloromethane affords the corresponding acid chloride (II), which is converted into amide (III) by treatment with ammonia gas in benzene. Dehydration of amide (III) with thionyl chloride then produces the target nitrile. (1,2)
Treatment of 2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oic acid (I) with oxalyl chloride produces the corresponding acid chloride (II), which is condensed with imidazole to yield the target acyl imidazolide. (1,2)