Triphenylphosphine-Catalyzed Simple Synthesis of Dimethyl 1-Aryl-4-ethoxy-5-oxo-4,5-dihydro-1 H -pyrrole-2,3-dicarboxylates

Ethyl 2-arylamino-2-oxo-acetates undergo a complex reaction with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate in the presence of triphenylphosphine to produce dimethyl 1-aryl-4-ethoxy-5-oxo-4,5-dihydro-1 H -pyrrole-2,3-dicarboxylates in good yields. Dynamic NMR study of dimethyl 1-(2-methylphenyl)-4-ethoxy-5-oxo-4,5-dihydro-1 H -pyrrole-2,3-dicarboxylate shows a fairly high energy barrier ( j G p = 53.2 kJmol m 1 ) for rotation around the N-aryl single bond, which leads to an observable atropisomerism.