Hantzsch -pyridine synthesis Variations

As might be expected, there are relatively few reactions for the preparation of heterocyclic systems which are useful on a laboratory scale and which involve the formation of four ring bonds. The Hantzsch pyridine synthesis (equation 148) (and a number of variations of the original procedure) is perhaps the classic example of this type of reaction, which is... 

The preparation of (83) (Expt 8.29) is an example of the Hantzsch pyridine synthesis. This is a widely used general procedure since considerable structural variation in the aldehydic compound (aliphatic or aromatic) and in the 1,3-dicarbonyl component (fi-keto ester or /J-diketone) is possible, leading to the synthesis of a great range of pyridine derivatives. The precise mechanistic sequence of ring formation may depend on the reaction conditions employed. Thus if, as implied in the retrosynthetic analysis above, ethyl acetoacetate and the aldehyde are first allowed to react in the presence of a base catalyst (as in Expt 8.29), a bis-keto ester [e.g. (88)] is formed by successive Knoevenagel and Michael reactions (Section 5.11.6, p. 681). Cyclisation of this 1,5-dione with ammonia then gives the dihydropyridine derivative. Under different reaction conditions condensation between an aminocrotonic ester and an alkylidene acetoacetate may be involved. 

The Guareschi-Thorpe pyridine synthesis is closely related to the Hantzsch protocol. The primary point of difference lies in the use of cyanoacetic esters. This modification assembles pyridine 23 by the condensation of acetoacetic esters 21 with cyanoacetic esters 22 in the presence of ammonia. A second variation of this method involves reaction of cyanoacetic ester 22 with P-diketone 24 in the presence of ammonia to generate the 2-hydroxypyridine 25. 

Hantzsch (dihydro)-pyridine synthesis Description Historical perspective Mechanism Variations... 

Subsequent to Hantzsch s communication for the construction of pyridine derivatives, a number of other groups have reported their efforts towards the synthesis of the pyridine heterocyclic framework. Initially, the protocol was modified by Beyer and later by Knoevenagel to allow preparation of unsymmetrical 1,4-dihydropyridines by condensation of an alkylidene or arylidene P-dicarbonyl compound with a P-amino-a,P-unsaturated carbonyl compound. Following these initial reports, additional modifications were communicated and since these other methods fall under the condensation approach, they will be presented as variations, although each of them has attained the status of named reaction . 

Extensive stmcture activity relationship (SAR) studies in this series revealed that unsymmetrical substitution on the heterocyclic ring and hence the introduction of chirality on the central carbon atom led to increased potency. Such asymmetrical dihydro-pyridines can be prepared by stepwise variation of the Hantzsch synthesis, based on the hypothetical alternate route to nifedipine. Thus, aldol condensation of methyl acetoacetate with 2,3-dichlorobenzaldehyde (13-1) gives the cinnamyl ketone (13-2). Reaction of that with the enamine (13-3) from ethyl acetoacetate gives the calcium channel blocker felodipine (13-4) [14]. 

---