Fe(II)-Catalyzed Isomerization of 4-Vinylisoxazoles into Pyrroles

Synthesis of 2H-azirine-2,2-dicarboxylic acids and their derivatives

Methods for the preparation of 3-aryl-2H-azirine-2,2-dicarboxylic acids and their amides, esters, and azides by FeCl2-catalyzed isomerization of 3-aryl-5-chloroisoxazole-4-carbonyl chlorides into 3-aryl-2H-azirine-2,2-dicarbonyl dichlorides followed by their reaction with nucleophiles are reported. Two approaches to the preparation of 3-aryl-5-chloroisoxazole-4-carbonyl chlorides have been developed.

Rhodium-Catalyzed Double Dearomatization of 1,2,3-Triazole-Isoxazole Dyads: Synthesis of Nonfused 1H-1,3-Diazepines

A double dearomatization of dyads consisting of 1-sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles and 3-aryl-5-methoxyisoxazoles was applied for the efficient synthesis of nonfused 1H-1,3-diazepines. The plausible mechanism of the cascade reaction includes transformation of the 1,2,3-triazole to rhodium azavinyl carbene, the Z-selective hydride shift to form the 1-azabuta-1,3-diene moiety, rhodium-catalyzed ring contraction of the isoxazole to azirine, and pseudopericyclic four-atom ring expansion of the azirine. The synthetic utility and antiproliferative activity of the 1,3-diazepines obtained have been demonstrated.

Harnessing the intrinsic photochemistry of isoxazoles for the development of chemoproteomic crosslinking methods

The intrinsic photochemistry of the isoxazole, a common heterocycle in medicinal chemistry, can be applied to offer an alternative to existing strategies using more perturbing, extrinsic photo-crosslinkers. The utility of isoxazole photo-crosslinking is demonstrated in a wide range of biologically relevant experiments, including common proteomics workflows.

Efficient access to 1,3,4-trisubstituted pyrroles via gold-catalysed cycloisomerization of 1,5-diynes

A gold-catalysed cycloisomerization of 1,5-diynes is described, which offers a selective approach to access 1,3,4-trisubstituted pyrroles. In this reaction, the cationic gold catalyst activates the ynamide moiety, initiating the cycloisomerization to produce the pyrrole core, and H₂O acts as an external nucleophile to trap the vinyl cationic species, thus leading to the formation of 1,3,4-trisubstituted pyrroles with high selectivity.

An Approach to Vinylidenequinazolines from Isoxazoles and Dioxazolones

An effective strategy for the synthesis of vinylidenequinazolines has been efficaciously developed, which involves Rh(III)-assisted C-H amidation followed by ring-opening and intramolecular annulation. This protocol shows a straightforward way to construct diverse quinazoline units with a wide functional group compatibility from readily available isoxazoles and dioxazolones.

Nucleophile-Induced Rearrangement of 2H-Azirine-2-carbonyl Azides to 2-(1H-Tetrazol-1-yl)acetic Acid Derivatives

2H-Azirine-2-carbonyl azides undergo a rearrangement into derivatives of 2-(1H-tetrazol-1-yl)acetic acid when interacting with O- and S-nucleophiles at room temperature. The reaction is catalyzed by tertiary amines or hydrazoic acid. The reaction with primary alcohols and phenols gives alkyl/aryl 2-(1H-tetrazol-1-yl)acetates. Thiophenols react with 2H-azirine-2-carbonyl azides to afford S-aryl 2-(1H-tetrazol-1-yl)ethanethioates. The mechanism of the nucleophile-induced rearrangement of 2H-azirine-2-carbonyl azides is discussed on the basis of DFT calculations as well as kinetic and ¹⁵N labeling experiments.

Base-Promoted Three-Component Cascade Reaction of α-Hydroxy Ketones, Malonodinitrile, and Alcohols: Direct Access to Tetrasubstituted NH-Pyrroles

A base-promoted three-component cascade reaction of α-hydroxy ketones, malonodinitrile, and alcohols has been developed, providing a direct and efficient route to a range of structurally diverse and synthetically useful 2-alkyloxy-1H-pyrrole-3-carbonitrile derivatives. The reaction involved three different bond (C-C, C-O, and C-N) formations in a single step, and its regioselectivity was depended on the structure of the α-hydroxy ketones employed. The use of easily available starting materials, wide substrate scope, good functional group tolerance, operational simplicity, and high atom economy are attractive features of the new method.

An Isoxazole Strategy for the Synthesis of Fully Substituted Nicotinates

A four-step quasi one-pot procedure for the preparation of fully substituted nicotinates from ketone enamines and 4-methylideneisoxazol-5-ones has been developed. The reaction sequence involves (1) reaction of 4-methylideneisoxazol-5-ones with ketone enamines with the formation of isoxazole-5-ols, (2) their O-methylation with diazomethane, (3) hydrogenative cleavage of the O-N bond in 5-methoxyisoxazoles under action of Mo(CO)₆/H₂O and simultaneous isomerization and condensation of the formed enamines, with the formation of dihydropyridines, and (4) aromatization of the latter.

Ru(II)-Catalyzed, Cu(II)-mediated carbene migratory insertion in the synthesis of trisubstituted pyrroles from isoxazoles

A convenient, "one-pot" synthesis of trisubstituted pyrroles via a Ru(ii)-catalyzed, Cu(ii)-mediated reaction of substituted isoxazoles with sulfonylhydrazones has been developed. A series of highly functionalized pyrroles are obtained via a synergistic formation of new C-C and C-N bonds. Mechanistic investigations were carried out to propose the plausible pathway. This protocol provides a facile and expeditious approach for the synthesis of various heterocyclic compounds bearing the pyrrole skeleton.

Isomerization of 5-(2H-Azirin-2-yl)oxazoles: An Atom-Economic Approach to 4H-Pyrrolo[2,3-d]oxazoles

An atom economical method for the preparation of variously substituted 4H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]oxazoles was developed on the basis of thermal isomerization of 5-(2H-azirin-2-yl)oxazoles. The latter were prepared by Rh₂(oct)₄ catalyzed reaction of 2-(3-aryl/heteroaryl)-2-diazoacetyl-2H-azirines with a set of substituted acetonitriles, benzonitriles, acrylonitrile and fumaronitrile. According to DFT calculations the transformation of 5-(2H-azirin-2-yl)oxazole to 4H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]oxazole occurs through the nitrenoid-like transition state to give a 3aH-pyrrolo[2,3-d]oxazole intermediate, followed by 1,5-H-shift.

Recent Advancements in Pyrrole Synthesis

This review article features selected examples on the synthesis of functionalized pyrroles that were reported between 2014 and 2019. Pyrrole is an important nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocycle that can be found in numerous compounds of biological and material significance. Given its vast importance, pyrrole continues to be an attractive target for the development of new synthetic reactions. The contents of this article are organized by the starting materials, which can be broadly classified into four different types: substrates bearing π-systems, substrates bearing carbonyl and other polar groups, and substrates bearing heterocyclic motifs. Brief discussions on plausible reaction mechanisms for most transformations are also presented.

An isoxazole strategy for the synthesis of alkyl 5-amino-4-cyano-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylates - versatile building blocks for assembling pyrrolo-fused heterocycles

A full atom-economical domino method has been developed for the preparation of alkyl 5-amino-4-cyano-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylates by transannulation of 5-alkoxyisoxazoles with malononitrile under Fe(ii) catalysis. Alkyl 5-amino-4-cyano-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylates are excellent building blocks for various annulation reactions, leading to new derivatives of 1H-pyrrolo[1,2-a]imidazole and pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine. The DFT calculations of mechanistic details of alkyl 5-amino-4-cyano-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylate formation are presented.

Diverse synthesis of pyrrolo/indolo[3,2-c]coumarins as isolamellarin-A scaffolds: a brief update

This review presents a different synthetic approach of pyrrolo/indolo[3,2-c]coumarins via classical reactions including metal-catalyzed and green reaction protocols.

Facile Synthesis of NH-Free 5-(Hetero)Aryl-Pyrrole-2-Carboxylates by Catalytic C-H Borylation and Suzuki Coupling

A convenient two-step preparation of NH-free 5-aryl-pyrrole-2-carboxylates is described. The synthetic route consists of catalytic borylation of commercially available pyrrole-2-carboxylate ester followed by Suzuki coupling without going through pyrrole N–H protection and deprotection steps. The resulting 5-aryl substituted pyrrole-2-carboxylates were synthesized in good- to excellent yields. This synthetic route can tolerate a variety of functional groups including those with acidic protons on the aryl bromide coupling partner. This methodology is also applicable for cross-coupling with heteroaryl bromides to yield pyrrole-thiophene, pyrrole-pyridine, and 2,3’-bi-pyrrole based bi-heteroaryls.

Nickel(ii)-catalyzed C–C, N–C cascade coupling of ketonitriles into substituted pyrroles and pyridines

The first example of nickel complexes as effectively catalyst to C–C, N–C cascade coupling of ketonitriles with arylboronic acids, affording 2,5-diarylpyrroles and 2,6-diarylpyridines.

Non-natural 2H-azirine-2-carboxylic acids: an expedient synthesis and antimicrobial activity

Non-natural 2H-azirine-2-carboxylic acids were obtained in high yields by FeCl2-catalyzed isomerization of 5-chloroisoxazoles to azirine-2-carbonyl chlorides followed by their hydrolysis. The 3-aryl- and 3-heteroaryl-substituted acids are stable during prolonged storage, exhibit antibacterial activity against ESKAPE pathogens and show a low level of cytotoxicity.

Synthesis of Isoxazole- and Oxazole-4-carboxylic Acids Derivatives by Controlled Isoxazole-Azirine-Isoxazole/Oxazole Isomerization

The first synthesis of isoxazole-4-carboxylic acid derivatives by domino isoxazole-isoxazole isomerization is reported. Fe(II)-catalyzed isomerization of 4-acyl-5-methoxy-/5-aminoisoxazoles (dioxane, 105 °C) leads to the formation of isoxazole-4-carboxylic esters and amides in good yields. 4-Formyl-5-methoxyisoxazoles give methyl oxazole-4-carboxylates under the same reaction conditions. Fe(II)-catalyzed isomerization of 4-acyl-5-methoxyisoxazoles under milder conditions (MeCN, 50 °C) allows the preparation of transient 2-acyl-2-(methoxycarbonyl)-2H-azirines. The azirines isomerize quantitatively either into isoxazoles under catalytic conditions (dioxane, 105 °C) or into oxazoles under noncatalytic thermolysis (o-dichlorobenzene, 170 °C). The mechanism of the isomerization and dependence of the reaction routes on substituents at starting isoxazole core and reaction conditions are discussed on the basis of DFT calculations.

Catalyst Control in Positional-Selective C-H Alkenylation of Isoxazoles and a Ruthenium-Mediated Assembly of Trisubstituted Pyrroles

High levels of catalyst control are demonstrated in determining the positional selectivity in C-H alkenylation of isoxazoles. A cationic rhodium-mediated, strong-directing group promotes C( sp²)-H activation at the proximal aryl ring whereas, the palladium-mediated electrophilic metallation leads to the C( sp²)-H activation at the distal position of the directing group. Synthetic elaboration of this C-H alkenylation product via ruthenium and copper co-catalysis leads to an efficient method for the assembly of densely substituted pyrroles.

Synthesis of 2 H-Azirines via Iodine-Mediated Oxidative Cyclization of Enamines

A facile and practical oxidative cyclization reaction of enamines to 2 H-azirines has been developed, employing molecular iodine. The features of the present synthetic approach include no use of transition metals, mild reaction conditions, and simplicity of operation. Under the optimal reaction conditions, a variety of 2 H-azirine derivatives were synthesized from simple and readily accessible enamine precursors in an efficient and scalable fashion.

A novel approach to 5H-pyrazino[2,3-b]indolesviaannulation of 3-diazoindolin-2-imines with 2H-azirines or 5-alkoxyisoxazoles under Rh(ii) catalysis

The first example of rhodium carbenoid-mediated intermolecular annulation of cyclic diazo compounds with azirines and alkoxyisoxazoles is presented.

Copper-catalyzed C–H acyloxylation of 2-phenylpyridine using oxygen as the oxidant

An efficient copper-catalyzed direct o-acyloxylation of 2-phenylpyridine with carboxylic acids using oxygen as the oxidant has been developed. Various acids including aromatic acids, cinnamic acids and aliphatic acids are effective acyloxylation reagents and provide the desired products in moderate to excellent yields. The reaction proceeds well under an oxygen atmosphere, making this method potentially practical.

A copper catalyzed direct o-acyloxylation of 2-phenylpyridine with various carboxylic acids using oxygen as oxidant has been developed.

Strain-Promoted Nitration of 3-Cyclopropylideneprop-2-en-1-ones and the Application for the Synthesis of Pyrroles

The tunable nucleophilic nitration of 3-cyclopropylideneprop-2-en-1-ones with cheap sodium nitrite is described. This transformation proceeds with the assistance of a strained cyclopropane ring and allows for a divergent route to various synthetically useful β,γ-dinitro or γ-mononitro adducts in high yields with exclusive regio- and stereoselectivity. Additionally, a wide array of valuable functionalized N-unprotected pyrroles is achieved from the resulting β,γ-dinitro compounds via reductive cyclization strategy.