Unprecedented intermolecular transamidation reaction of N-carbamoylmethyl-N'-tosylguanidines.

[reaction: see text] N-Carbamoylmethyl-N'-tosyl guanidine 2 reacts easily with primary alkylamines to afford substituted carboxamides 3. The reaction proceeds via a five-membered-ring intermediate 5, which could be isolated, and features a rare example of an intermolecular transamidation reaction under mild conditions.