A general approach to arylated furans,pyrroles, and thiophenes

A general and practical synthetic method for aryl-substituted five-membered heterocycles has been developed. In the presence of KOH (30%), 1,4-diaryl-1,3-butadiynes undergo the cyclocondensation reaction with water, primary amines, and Na₂S·9H₂O in DMSO at 80 °C to afford 2,5-diarylfurans, 1,2,5-trisubstituted pyrroles, and 2,5-diarylthiophenes in good to high yields. Further studies have disclosed that aryl-substituted five-membered heterocycles can be also synthesized by a one-pot, two-step strategy from the terminal alkynes in DMSO firstly catalyzed by CuCl, and then via addition of KOH to promote the cyclocondensation of 1,3-butadiynes generated in situ.     

Catalytic multicomponent synthesis of highly substituted pyrroles utilizing a one-pot sila-Stetter/Paal-Knorr strategy

[reaction: see text] A multicomponent synthesis of highly substituted pyrroles catalyzed by thiazolium salts has been disclosed. The reaction employs an acyl anion conjugate addition reaction of acylsilanes (sila-Stetter) and unsaturated ketones to generate 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds in situ. The subsequent addition of various amines promotes a Paal-Knorr reaction, affording the desired pyrrole nucleus in an efficient one-pot process.     

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.     

Enantioselective Friedel–Crafts reactions of ethenetricarboxylates and substituted pyrroles and furans and intramolecular reaction of benzene derivatives

Compared to enantioselective Friedel–Crafts reactions of indoles, reactions of alkylidene malonates with monocyclic aromatic compounds generally proceed with low enantioselectivity. The Friedel–Crafts reactions of ethenetricarboxylates 1 and monocyclic heteroaromatic compounds, such as substituted pyrroles and furans were investigated. The reaction of 1 with 2,4-dimethylpyrrole in the presence of a chiral bisoxazoline–copper(II) complex (10 mol %) in tetrahydrofuran at room temperature gave alkylated products in up to 72% ee. The reaction of 1 with 2-substituted furans gave alkylated products in 46–62% ee. The absolute stereochemistry of the furan Friedel–Crafts product 7e was determined by transformation to the known 2,3-dimethylbutyric acid. The intramolecular reaction of benzene derivatives gave cyclized products up to 56% ee.     

Microwave-assisted zinc chloride-catalyzed synthesis of substituted pyrroles from homopropargyl azides

Ligand-free 5-endo-dig cyclization of 1,4- and 1,2,4-substituted but-3-yn-1-yl (homopropargyl) azides in the presence of zinc chloride (usually 20 mol %) in dichloroethane at elevated temperature provides 2,5-di- and 2,3,5-trisubstituted pyrroles in high to moderate yields (91-41%). Both conventional and microwave protocols furnished comparable results. A structure of 2-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-(4-methylphenyl)-1H-pyrrole was confirmed by X-ray crystallography.     

Synthesis of 2,3-dicarbonylated pyrroles and furans via the three-component Hantzsch reaction

Pyrroles containing a 2,3-dicarbonyl substitution pattern are synthesized in one step via a three-component Hantzsch procedure. The normally difficult-to-access substrates are readily obtained in short reaction times and in moderate to good yields, giving pharmaceutically attractive products containing multiple handles for further elaboration.     

Synthesis of substituted pyrroles in the glaser reaction

The substituted pyrroles and dipyrroles along with diacetylenes and cumulenes have been synthesized in high yields using a new synthetic method under mild reaction conditions using the Glaser coupling reaction. Although diacetylenes are formed from 2‐propargyl‐1,3‐dicarbonyl compounds having electron‐donors substituents such as Ph or OEt, only polyfunctional substituted cumulenes are formed from those compounds under the modified conditions. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 17:66–73, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20184     

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.     

An approach to the Paal–Knorr pyrroles synthesis in the presence of β-cyclodextrin in aqueous media

An efficient and facile method for the synthesis of N-substituted pyrroles in moderate to good yields by the Paal–Knorr reaction of γ-diketones with amines in the presence of β-cyclodextrin in aqueous media has been developed.Moreover,this process tolerated diamines(e.g.,para-,meta- or orthophenylenediamine)to construct bis-pyrrole or mono-pyrrole derivates.β-Cyclodextrin can be recovered easily after the reactions and reused without evident loss in activity.     

Pt(II)-catalyzed hydroarylation reaction of alkynes with pyrroles and furans

A Pt(II) catalyst showed a drastic effect on hydroarylation of alkynes with pyrroles and furans compared with Pd(OAc)₂ catalyst. The hydroarylation reactions proceeded smoothly under mild conditions to give double-hydroarylation products in good yields. Mono-adducts were formed only when the second hydroarylation was inhibited by steric hindrance of substrates or low reactivity of the mono-adducts.     

Addition/oxidative rearrangement of 3-furfurals and 3-furyl imines: new approaches to substituted furans and pyrroles

Furans and pyrroles are important synthons in chemical synthesis and are commonly found in natural products, pharmaceutical agents, and materials. Introduced herein are three methods to prepare 2-substituted 3-furfurals starting from 3-furfural, 3-bromofuran, and 3-vinylfurans. Addition of a variety of organolithium, Grignard, and organozinc reagents (M-R) to 3-furfural provides 3-furyl alcohols in high yields. Treatment of these intermediates with NBS initiates a novel oxidative rearrangement that results in the installation of the R group in the 2 position of the 2-substituted 3-furfurals. Likewise, metalation of 3-bromofuran with n-BuLi and addition to benzaldehyde provides a furyl alcohol that is converted to 2-phenyl 3-furfural upon oxidative rearrangement. Enantioenriched disubstituted furans can be prepared starting with the Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation of 3-vinylfurans. The resulting enantioenriched diols undergo the oxidative rearrangement to furnish enantioenriched 2-substituted 3-furfurals with excellent transfer of asymmetry. This later method has been applied to the enantioselective preparation of an intermediate in Honda's synthesis of the natural product (-)-canadensolide. Mechanistic studies involving deuterium-labeled furyl alcohol suggest that the oxidative rearrangement proceeds through an unsaturated 1,4-dialdehyde intermediate. The alcohol then cyclizes onto an aldehyde, resulting in the elimination of water and rearomatization. On the basis of this proposed mechanism, we found that 3-furyl imines undergo the addition of organometallic reagents to provide furyl sulfonamides. Under the oxidative rearrangement conditions, 2-substituted 3-formyl pyrroles are formed, providing a novel route to these heterocycles. In contrast to the metalation of heterocycles, which often lead to mixtures of regioisomeric products, these new oxidative rearrangements of furyl alcohols and furyl sulfonamides generate only one regioisomer in each case.     

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.     

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.     

Copper-catalyzed vinylation of hydrazides. A regioselective entry to highly substituted pyrroles

A modular route to highly substituted pyrroles has been developed. This transformation consists of two sequential copper-catalyzed vinylations of bis-Boc-hydrazine followed by thermal rearrangement/cyclization. A wide variety of functionalized pyrroles can be prepared in a selective manner from simple and easily accessible precursors. [reaction: see text]     

An approach to the Paal-Knorr pyrroles synthesis catalyzed by Sc(OTf)3 under solvent-free conditions

A facile synthesis of N-substituted pyrroles by the Paal-Knorr condensation has been accomplished using a simple procedure. Among different metal triflates screened, 1 mol % Sc(OTf)₃ efficiently promoted the reaction to give excellent yield (89-98%) under mild reaction conditions. Additionally, Sc(OTf)₃ could be recovered easily after the reactions and reused without evident loss in activity.     

Novel and convenient routes to substituted pyrroles and imidazoles

S-Melhyl N-(benzotriazol-1-ylmethyl)thioimidate 6 is obtained by lithiation of the corresponding N-(benzotriazol-1-ylmelhyl) thioamide 5 and subsequent reaction with methyl iodide. Derivative 6 undergoes [2 + 3] cycloaddition reactions with ,β-unsaturated -esters, -ketones and -nitriles, and vinylpyridines which are followed by elimination of benzotriazole and the thioalkoxy group, to give 2,3,4-trisubstituted pyrroles. Lithiaiion of 6 followed by reactions with imines gives cyclized 4,5-dihydroimidazoles 14 which upon further treatment with ZnBr₂ or direct refluxing in toluene yield the 1,25-trisubstituted imidazoles 15 in good yields.     

A metathesis-based approach to the synthesis of furans

The enol ether-olefin ring-closing metathesis reaction has been employed to generate 2,3-dihydrofurans that are equipped with a leaving group. These substrates are at the correct oxidation state to undergo an acid-catalyzed aromatization, and this strategy has been utilized to provide a mild and rapid route (four steps) to a range of novel 2,5-disubstituted furans. [reaction: see text]     

Synthesis of highly substituted pyrroles via a multimetal-catalyzed rearrangement-condensation-cyclization domino approach

[reaction: see text] In a convenient one-pot process, easily accessed propargyl vinyl ethers and aromatic amines are effectively converted into tetra- and pentasubstituted 5-methylpyrroles which can further be transformed into 5-formylpyrroles via IBX-mediated oxidation. The cascade reaction proceeds through a silver(I)-catalyzed propargyl-Claisen rearrangement, an amine condensation, and a gold(I)-catalyzed 5-exo-dig heterocyclization.     

Allylic amination and N-arylation-based domino reactions providing rapid three-component strategies to fused pyrroles with different substituted patterns

New three-component domino reaction providing divergent approaches to multifunctionalized fused pyrroles with different substituted patterns have been established (40 examples). The direct C(sp(3))-N bond formation was achieved through intermolecular allylic amination in a one-pot operation, and N-arylation of amines was realized by varying N-amino acid enaminones. The reaction is easy to perform simply by mixing three common reactants in acetic acid under microwave heating. The reaction proceeds at fast rates and can be finished within 30 min, which makes workup convenient to give good chemical yields.