Synthesis of furans, pyrroles and pyridazines by a ruthenium-catalysed isomerisation of alkynediols and in situ cyclisation

Alkyne-1,4-diols are readily available substrates which are isomerised to 1,4-diketones using Ru(PPh₃)₃(CO)H₂/xantphos as a catalyst. In situ cyclisation into furans, pyrroles and pyridazines has been achieved under suitable conditions.     

A simple and convenient synthesis of substituted furans and pyrroles by CuCl2-catalyzed heterocyclodehydration of 3-yne-1,2-diols and N-Boc- or N-tosyl-1-amino-3-yn-2-ols

A simple and economical synthesis of substituted furans and pyrroles, by ligand-free CuCl₂-catalyzed heterocyclodehydration of readily available 3-yne-1,2-diols and N-Boc- or N-tosyl-1-amino-3-yn-2-ols, respectively, is presented. Reactions are carried out in MeOH at 80-100 °C for 1-24 h and afford the corresponding heterocyclic derivatives in 53-99% isolated yields.     

A new facile approach to the synthesis of 3-methylthio-substituted furans, pyrroles, thiophenes, and related derivatives

2-(methylthio)-1,4-diaryl-2-butene-1,4-dione (3) are prepared from readily available aryl methyl ketones in the presence of copper(II) oxide, iodine, and dimethyl sulfoxide. The success of the cross-coupling reaction of 4-chloroacetophenone with 2-acetylthiophene confirms a proposed self-sorting tandem reaction mechanism. Both Z- and E-isomers of compound 3 are readily converted into the corresponding 3-methylthio 2,5-diaryl furan 7 in good yield through a domino process involving the reduction of the double bond followed by the Paal-Knorr furan synthesis. Meanwhile, 4-bromo-3-methylthio 2,5-diaryl furan 10 is obtained either by the treatment of furan 7 with molecular bromine or by the treatment of diketone 3 with 30% hydrogen bromide in acetic acid solution in one pot. Removal of the methylthio group is accomplished by the treatment of 7 with Raney Ni in ethanol, which affords the diaryl-substituted furan 11 in excellent isolated yield. Selective reduction of the double bond of compound 3 leads to the formation of the saturated 1,4-diketone 13, which is easily converted to the corresponding 3-methylthio-2,5-diaryl-substituted pyrrole 14 and thiophene 15 via the Paal-Knorr cyclization reaction.     

Synthesis of multisubstituted furans, pyrroles, and thiophenes via ynolates

An efficient synthetic method for the preparation of multisubstituted furans, thiophenes, and pyrroles using ynolates was developed. This novel formal [4 + 1] annulation by C2-C3 and C3-C4 bond formations includes cycloaddition, cyclization, decarboxylation, and dehydration as key steps.     

Synthesis and antiproliferative activity of RITA and its analogs

The synthesis of RITA and a variety of five-membered heterocyclic triads by the cyclocondensation of 1,4-bis(5-substituted-2-thienyl or 2-furyl)-1,3-butadiynes with water or Na₂S·9H₂O in the presence of KOH in DMSO is described. The study on the antiproliferative activities against K562, MCF-7, A549, and HCT116 tumor cells has revealed that some of the heterocyclic triads show higher antiproliferative activities than RITA, depending on the structures of substituents, the property of heteroatoms as well as their numbers.     

New approaches to polysubstituted pyrroles and pyrrolinones from α-cyanomethyl-β-ketoesters

In this present paper, we report the efficient, regioselective one-pot synthesis of 5-alkoxy and 5-alkylsulfanylpyrrole-3-carboxylates in high yields via the zinc perchlorate-catalyzed addition of alcohols and thiols to the nitrile carbon of α-cyanomethyl-β-ketoesters followed by annulation. The addition-annulation process is undertaken in aqueous solution to give 4,5-dihydro-5-oxo-1H-pyrrole-3-carboxylates (pyrrolinones) in good yields. These 4,5-dihydro-5-oxo-1H-pyrrole-3-carboxylates are also obtained by the hydrolysis of 5-alkoxypyrrole-3-carboxylates.     

A general approach to polysubstituted pyrroles

Exposure of a range of 3-hydroxy-2-sulfonylamino-4-alkynes to excess iodine delivers good yields of a series of iodopyrroles. Unexpectedly, the hydroxyl-dihydropyrroles, which were assumed to be the first-formed intermediates, turn out to be stable entities which have been isolated for the first time.     

Microwave-assisted Paal-Knorr reaction. A rapid approach to substituted pyrroles and furans

[reaction: see text] An array of tetrasubstituted pyrroles (and trisubstituted furans) was obtained using a simple three-step procedure. Functional homologation of a beta-ketoester with an aldehyde followed by oxidation gave a series of differently substituted 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds that can be rapidly cyclized with the Paal-Knorr procedure carried out under microwave irradiation.     

Orthogonal synthesis of pyrroles and 1,2,3-triazoles from vinyl azides and 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds

Tri- and tetrasubstituted N-H pyrroles were prepared by the simple treatment of vinyl azides with 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds in toluene at 100 °C via 2H-azirine intermediates generated in situ. When the reactions of vinyl azides and 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds were performed in DMF in the presence of a catalytic amount of K₂CO₃, 1-vinyl-1,2,3-triazoles were obtained via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. These methodologies exploited orthogonal modes of chemical reactivity of vinyl azides, which could be achieved by slight modification of the reaction conditions.     

4-Isoxazolines and pyrroles from allenoates

The synthesis of 4-isoxazolines via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrones generated from allenoates and the subsequent thermal rearrangement to pyrroles is reported. The selection of the reaction conditions allowed the isolation of the initial 1,3-dipolar cycloadducts, the 4-isoxazolines, or the pyrrole derivatives. The isomerization of the parent system (4-isoxazoline) was examined by carrying out quantum chemical calculations and corroborated the favourability of the 4-isoxazoline rearrangement to five-membered heterocycles via 2-acylaziridine intermediates.     

An efficient and general synthesis of pyrroles

We have discovered that a wide range of 3-alkynyl-hydroxyalkanamine derivatives undergo 5-endo-dig cyclisations when exposed to silver nitrate supported on silica gel. Subsequent in situ dehydration of the resulting and sometimes isolable hydroxy-dihydropyrroles leads to pyrroles in essentially quantitative yields using this recoverable and reusable heterogeneous catalyst.     

A green approach for efficient synthesis of N-substituted pyrroles in ionic liquid under microwave irradiation

A rapid synthesis of N-substituted pyrroles has been described by the reaction of 4-hydroxyproline with isatins in ionic liquid under microwave irradiation. The recovered ionic liquid was reused for six cycles. The reaction proceeds without the addition of any acid promoter     

A new method for preparing （2Z, 4Z, 6Z）-diethyl-4,5- oxepinedicarboxylates and some 1H-azepine analogues

A new method for preparing (2Z, 4Z, 6Z)-4,5-diethyloxepinodicarboxylate by one-step is described. The synthesis of several oxepines and azepines derivatives was carried out by the reaction of substituted furans or pyrroles with diethyl acetylenedicarbox-ylate in boiling toluene. The effect factors for this reaction were discussed and reaction condition was optimized.     

A straightforward highly efficient Paal-Knorr synthesis of pyrroles

A straightforward simple synthesis of substituted pyrroles using bismuth nitrate-catalyzed modified Paal-Knorr method has been accomplished with an excellent yield. This method produces pyrroles with multicyclic aromatic amines.     

Synthesis of n-chloroquinolines and n-ethynylquinolines (n=2, 4, 8): homo and heterocoupling reactions

The n-(ethynyl)quinolines were satisfactorily prepared by heterocoupling reaction between the appropriate n-chloroquinoline and 2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol, catalyzed by palladium, followed by treatment with a catalytic amount of powdered sodium hydroxide in toluene. The n-(ethynyl)quinolines were transformed in the corresponding conjugate 1,4-bis[n′-(quinolyl)]buta-1,3-diynes by oxidative dimerization, catalyzed by cuprous chloride, with excellent yields. Moreover, the heterocoupling between n′-haloquinoline and n′-(ethynyl)quinoline (n′, 2′ or 3′), catalyzed by palladium, gives 2′,2′-bis(quinoline) or 1,2-di(3′-quinolyl)ethyne, respectively. The same coupling reaction with zerovalent nickel complexes, gives a mixture of 1,2,4- and 1,3,5-tri(n′-quinolyl)benzene.     

Flexible metathesis-based approaches to highly functionalised furans and pyrroles

A range of differentially functionalised furans and pyrroles have been synthesised in short order by the judicious use of a ring-closing metathesis/aromatisation strategy. Two contrasting approaches are described exploiting a palladium-catalysed union of allylic alcohols and sulfonamides in one case, and a titanium mediated methylenation of homoallylic esters in another. A number of groups that are difficult to install via traditional methods were incorporated successfully.     

Hetero-calix[4]pyrroles: incorporation of furans, thiophenes, thiazoles or fluorenes as a part of the macrocycle

Furans, thiazoles, fluorene or thiophene incorporated calix[4]pyrrole analogues were synthesized and characterized. The synthesis was achieved by utilization of various building blocks such as 7, 13, 14, 18 and 21. Acid catalyzed condensation of those building blocks with acetone or meso-disubstituted dipyrromethanes afforded desired macrocycles.     

A combination of water and microwave irradiation promotes the catalyst-free addition of pyrroles and indoles to nitroalkenes

A combination of water and microwave irradiation was used for the first time to perform a catalyst-free nitro-Michael addition of pyrroles and indoles. Under superheated conditions, the water trends to ionize by changing its chemical and physical properties. Therefore, we performed a new green-protocol using the water either as environmentally no harm solvent or as catalyst. The reaction success is independent from the kind of pyrrole, indole or nitroalkenes rapidly affording the corresponding adducts and giving excellent yields.     

A facile and convenient one-pot synthesis of polysubstituted thiophenes from 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds in water

A facile and convenient one-pot synthesis of polysubstituted thiophenes 2 and polysubstituted thieno[2,3-b]thiophenes 3 from 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds 1 has been achieved in high yields catalyzed by tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) in the presence of K₂CO₃ in water. TBAB in the aqueous phase can be recycled after the separation of organic products.