pyrazine (1− 9 and 28) has been studied. These heteroarenes (1− 8) condense with
benzene in good yields (74− 96%) in the Bronsted superacid, CF3SO3H (triflic acid). In
these acid-catalyzed hydroxyalkylation reactions, compounds 1− 8 are significantly more
reactive than acetophenone. It is proposed that compounds 1− 8 readily form dicationic
electrophiles in triflic acid.