Pyrroles Vilsmeier-Haack reaction

The Vilsmeier-Haack reaction (herein, Vilsmeier reaction ) provides an effective method for the formylation of aromatic systems. The combination of phosphoryl chloride with V-methylaniline or dimethylformamide generates an iminium phosphorus derivative or chloro-iminium cation that is the active electrophile in an electrophilic substitution reaction. The resulting substitution product is an iminium salt 1, which is hydrolyzed on workup with alkali to give the carbaldehyde product 2 (Scheme l).1,2 The method is particularly useful with activated arenes or electron-rich heterocycles, such as pyrroles, furans, thiophenes, and indoles. We had a special interest in the preparation of indole-7-carbal-dehydes, namely, their properties as isosteres of salicylaldehyde. Thus, we became involved in a wide-ranging investigation of 4,6-dimethoxy-... 

The salts of methylene derivatives of 2H- and 3//-pyrroles and -indoles are produced in the Ehrlich reaction (Scheme 32, Section 3.05.1.2.8) and they are also intermediates in the Vilsmeier-Haack reaction (Scheme 24, Section 3.05.2.1.6). Although 6-fV,fV-dimethyl-amino-l-azafulvene, i.e. 2-(Ar,Ar-dimethylaminomethylene)-2//-pyrrole, dimerizes spontaneously (see Section 3.05.2.5), the 6-aryl-6-Ar)Ar-dimethylamino-l-azafulvenes (514 R = aryl) can be isolated (71JCS(B)1405) but, curiously, they are more susceptible to reactions with nucleophiles at the 6-position than are the corresponding salts (B-77MI30508). The benzo[6 ]-1 -azafulvenes, obtained from the reaction of 2-formylindoles with dialkylamines, also dimerize spontaneously, but the isomeric benzo[c]-2-azaf ulvenes, derived from 3-formylindoles, are thermally more stable, although they are extremely moisture sensitive... 

Several porphyrin derivatives participate in the Vilsmeier-Haack reaction giving products of substitution in either the pyrrole ring or at the methylene bridge position. ... 

Another acylation procedure uses iminium salts rather than acyl halides. The Vilsmeier-Haack reaction is a well-known process illustrated by reaction of pyrrole with the POCI3 complex of N,N-dimethylacetamide (207, which can decompose to a chloroiminium salt). The acylation reaction gave 208, which was converted to 2-acetylpyrrole by hydrolysis with aqueous sodium acetate.A synthetic example is taken from Lai s synthesis of indole analogs of mycophenolic acid,l in which 209 reacted with POCI3 and DMF to give a 77% yield of the aldehyde 210. 

As is the case with pyrroles, C-alkylation of indoles results in mixtures of products. Formylation and acylation, however, occur more readily. The Vilsmeier-Haack reaction furnishes indole-3-carbaldehyde heating with acetic anhydride produces 3-acetylindole. In the Houben-Hoesch acylation, substitution takes place in the 3-position. 

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. 

As in the example shown below, the Vilsmeier-Haack reaction was performed on 2-benzoyl-1-methyl-lf/-pyrrole to afford the C2 formylation product in 44% yield and the C3 ketone affords the C2 formylation product in 44% yield in 56% yield The two pyrrolyl aldehydes, in turn, were converted into the corresponding hydroxamates, which are a new class of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. 

Thiophene is also readily acylated under both Friedel-Crafts and Vilsmeier-Haack conditions and similarly to pyrrole and furan gives 2-acylated products. An almost quantitative conversion of thiophene into its 2-benzoyl derivative is obtained by reaction with 2-benzoyloxypyridine and trifluoroacetic acid. The attempted preparation of 2-benzoylthiophene under standard Friedel-Crafts conditions, however, failed (80S139). 

Pyrrole, 2-acetyl-1 -(2-hydroxyethyl)-5-nitro-cydization, 4, 74 ipso substitution, 4, 243 Pyrrole, 2-acetyl-1-methyl-dipole moment, 4, 194 photocydization reactions with 2,3-dimethylbut-2-ene, 4, 269 Pyrrole, 3-acetyl-4-methyl-Vilsmeier-Haack formylation, 4, 222 Pyrrole, 2-acetyl-3-nitro-reduction, 4, 297 Pyrrole, acyl-basicity, 4, 207 isomerization, 4, 208 oximes... 

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