2.4.6- Trisubstituted pyrylium salts, reaction

A convenient method leading to pyrans (38) consists in the nucleophilic addition of R anions to 2,6-disubstituted pyrjdium salts, in which the y-position (secondary carbonium ion) is more reactive than the a-positions (tertiary carbonium ions), in opposition to the reactivity of 2,4,6-trisubstituted pyrylium salts.Krohnke and Dickore as well as Dimroth and WolH showed that 2,6-diphenyl-pyrylium salts add the anions R of nitromethane, 1,3-diketones, malonodinitrile, ethyl cyanoacetate, and benzoylacetonitrile. Similar reactions are known in the flavylium series. -Nonactivated R ... 

However, 2,4,6-trisubstituted pyrylium salts with certain active methyl and methylene compounds undergo ring fission and subsequent cyclization to benzenoid products. 2,4,6-Triphenylpyrylium ion (261 Z = O) in this way forms 2,4,6-triphenylnitrobenzene (299) with nitromethane and the substituted benzoic acid (300) with malonic acid, the latter reaction involving a decarboxylation. In reactions of this type, 1,3-oxazinium salts react with active hydrogen compounds to give pyridines (Scheme 25). 

The distribution of charge in the resonance forms (28)-(31) suggests that nucleophiles may attack at C-2, C-4 or C-6 (or at C-2 or C-4 in 1-benzopyrylium cations, and at C-l, C-3 or C-4a in 2-benzopyrylium ions) but they most commonly add at C-2 for example, attack by cyanide ion gives a 2//-pyran (37) which exists partly or wholly as the acyclic isomer (38). Steric and electronic effects in the reactants probably have a role in determining the course of the reaction of trisubstituted pyrylium salts with nucleophiles. A mixture of both 2H- and 4H-pyrans is sometimes produced, for example, from methoxide ion and 2,4,6-triphenylpyrylium perchlorate (39) no acyclic product was detected in this reaction... 

It has been found (72BSF707) that in general the reaction of methylmagnesium iodide with 2,4,6-trisubstituted pyrylium salts leads to 2//-pyrans. However, as the bulk of the 2-and 6-substituents increases, minor amounts of 4//-pyrans are formed. When the pyrylium salt is unsubstituted at C-4, significant quantities of the 4//-pyran are produced, along with the corresponding 2//-pyran and unsaturated ketones. It appears that substituents in the 3- and 5-positions of the pyrylium salts have little effect on the course of the reaction. 

Trisubstituted pyrylium salts yield 2,4,6-trisubstituted phosphabenzenes 16 (MArkl 1966) when treated with phosphanes such as tris(hydroxymethyl)phosphane, tris(trimethylsilyl)phosphane or phosphonium iodide (according to the reaction principle on p 225) ... 

A 2,4)6-trisubstituted 2H or 4/f) pyran (38, R = R = Ph) was reported to result in low yield by catalytic reduction of 2,4,6-triphenyl-pyrylium salts by oxidation or by treatment with concentrated sulfuric acid it regenerated the triphenylpyrylium cation. There was no subsequent confirmation of this reaction. The reduction of pyrylium salts with sodium borohydride affords 1,5-diones by way of 4H-pyrans and 2,4-dien-l-ones by way of 2H-pyrans. ... 

Alk = Et), a-methylstyrene (156, Ar = Ph), and allyl-benzene (160, Ar = Ph) are representatives of the four types of monosubstituted propenes (olefins 157 and 158, etc. written in Table I as equilibrium pairs undergo equilibration during the course of the reaction and yield the same pyrylium salt on diacylation). Disubstituted propenes which gave pyrylium salts on diacylation are 2-pentene (163, Alk = Me) and 1,2-diphenylpropene (164, Ar = ph),305 3-ethyl-2-pentene represents a trisubstituted propene... 

Figure 14 Reactions of pyrylium salts (usually 2,4,6-trisubstituted).

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