| Abstract: | Benzylic zinc reagents add with high regioselectivity to 1-(phenoxycarbonyl) salts derived from pyridine-3-carboxaldehyde ( 1a ) or 3-acetylpyridine ( 1b ) to yield 1-(phenoxylcarbonyl)-4-benzyl-1,4-dihydropyridine-3-carboxaldehydes 5a, 5c or ketones 5b, 5d . Aromatizations of these dihydro analogues with sulfur led to the corresponding aldehydes 6a, 6c or ketones 6b, 6d . An alternate synthesis to the aldehydic precursors involved additions of benzylic zinc reagents to 1-(phenoxycarbonyl) salts formed from methyl nicotinates which led to the corresponding methyl 1-(phenoxycarbonyl)-4-benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinates 7a, 7b . Aromatizations of 7a, 7b led to the corresponding pyridine esters 8a, 8b which on reduction with lithium aluminum hydride yielded the corresponding carbinols 9a, 9b . Oxidation of 9a, 9b by manganese dioxide afforded aldehydes 6e, 6f . Aldehydes 6a-f were readily converted into the benzg]isoquinolines 10a-f on heating in polyphosphoric acid. |
