Carboxylation Vilsmeier-Haack reaction

In miscellaneous oxidative processes of indoles, two methods for the preparation of 3-hydroxyindoles have been reported. The first approach involves initial Vilsmeier-Haack reaction of indole-2-carboxylates 176 to afford the corresponding 3-formyl analogs 177. Activation of the aldehyde with p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA) and Baeyer-Villiger oxidation with m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (wi-CPBA) then affords high yields of the 3-hydroxy compounds 178 <00TL8217>... 

The Vilsmeier-Haack reaction of ketones forms chlorovinyl aldehydes, which can add thiols readily. The reaction with a-tetralone gave the chlorovinyl aldehyde (230), and reaction with ethyl thioglycolate in ethanolic ethoxide solution formed the dihydro derivative (231), easily dehydrogenated to naphtho[l,2-6]thiophene-2-carboxylate (73JCS(P1)2956). 

A second method of base-catalyzed thiannulation is illustrated in Scheme 8. The reaction proper involves a l-chloro-2-formylalkene (such as 215 normally prepared from 214 by the Vilsmeier-Haack reaction) and thio-glycolic ester (216). Ester 217 (75% from 215) was hydrolyzed to the carboxylic acid (74%) and decarboxylated to the parent tetracycle (39) (87%).75 Other... 

The Vilsmeier-H2iack reagent, a chloroiminium salt, is a weak electrophile. Therefore, the Vilsmeier-Haack reaction works better with electron-rich carbocycles and heterocycles. Since pyrrole is very electron-rich, the Vilsmeier-Haack reaction readily takes place. Formylation of methyl pyrrole-2-carboxylate was achieved using the Vilsmeier-Haack reaction. The mechanism is shown below. The resulting methyl 5-formylpyrrole-2-carboxylate, in turn, was converted into nonpeptidic analogues of neurotesin(8-13), which are potential treatment for neuropsychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia and Parkinson s disease. 

The Vilsmeier-Haack type adduct, formed by the reaction of oxalyl chloride with DMF can be also be employed for the activation of carboxylic acids, as shown in Fig. 8 [200]. 

Ring closure y to a heteroatom is also a rather uncommon [5 + 1] procedure although there are some important exceptions. The most widely investigated is the Bernthsen acridine synthesis in which a diarylamine is condensed with a carboxylic acid in the presence of a Lewis acid (equation 73). More recently, it has been shown that acylanilines react with the Vilsmeier-Haack reagent to give quinolines in good yield (e.g. equation 74) and the mechanism of the reaction has been elucidated. A final example of [5 +1] ring closure y to a heteroatom which is of occasional use is the pyrazine synthesis outlined in equation (75). 

Figure 6.12 shows that carboxylic acids can also be converted into acid chlorides without releasing HC1. This is possible when carboxylic acids are treated with the chloroenamine A. First the carboxylic acid adds to the C=C double bond of this reagent electrophilically (see Figures 3.51 and 3.53). Then, the addition product B dissociates completely to give the ion pair C. This constitutes the isopropyl analog of the Vilsmeier-Haack intermediate B of the DMF-catalyzed carboxylic chloride synthesis of Figure 6.11. The new Vilsmeier-Haack intermediate reacts exactly like the old one (cf. previous discussion) The chloride ion undertakes an SN reaction at the carboxyl carbon. This produces the desired acid chloride and isobutyric N, IV-dimethylamide.

Well known compounds of this type are Vilsmeier-Haack adducts, imino esters, amidines, carboxylic orthoesters, orthoamides etc., which have proven their synthetic utility in thousands of reactions. As a consequence of the synthetic importance of these compounds, more or less extensive reviews are available for all of them. 

A preparation of 3-hydroxyindole-2-carboxylic esters (yields 80-90%) involves Vilsmeier-Haack formylation and the Baeyer-Villiger reaction. ... 

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