Gattermann-Adams formylation

Gattermann Aldehyde Synthesis (Gattermann-Adams Formylation)... 

The original conditions, called the Gattermann Reaction / Formylation, were to add HCN, HC1 and ZnCh (known as Adam s Catalyst) directly. Use of Adam s catalyst avoids using gaseous HCN. 

Certain aromatic analogues of natural amino acids can be used as potential fluorescent probes of peptide structure and dynamics in complex environments. The research team of M.L. McLaughlin undertook the gram scale synthesis of racemic 1- and 2-naphthol analogues of tyrosine. The synthesis of the 1-naphthol tyrosine analogue started with the Gattermann formylation of 1-naphthol using the Adams modification to afford the formylated product 4-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde in 67% yield. 

For preparative purposes the Gattermann reaction is much more useful. It was first usedS5 to prepare ethyl 2-formyl-3,5-dimethyl- and ethyl 3-formyl-2,5-dimethyl-pyrrole-4-carboxylate, by means of hydrogen cyanide and hydrogen chloride in ether. Later applications sometimes involved minor changes such as the use of chloroform as solvent, or of Adams modification of the reaction . Formylation generally occurs at an a-position, but if none is open there is usually no difficulty in jS-substitution. Pyrrole-2-aldehyde cannot be made this way, for it reacts further to form dyestuffs, but several 1-alkylpyrroles have been satisfactorily formylated . The initial... 

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