Eginhard Steiner

Convenient approaches to heterocycles via copper-catalysed additions of organic polyhalides to activated olefins

Abstract An efficient method for the synthesis of 2,3-dichloro-5-substituted (Cl, CF3, alkyl) pyridines 29 starting from the 1:1 adducts of the copper-catalysed addition of chloral or the corresponding 2,2-dichloroaldehydes to acrylonitrile is presented. Proper choice of experimental conditions allows the preparation of 29 in a one-pot process. Similarly, the CuCl-catalysed reaction of methyl itaconate with several trichloromethyl compounds R-CCl3 gives 6-R-substituted 2-pyrone derivatives 40 via dehalogenation and subsequent thermal ring closure of the primary 1:1-adducts. The new electrophilic 2-pyrone 40b undergoes [4+2]-cycloaddition reactions with inverse electron demand with a number olefins and acetylenes, allowing thereby regioselective transfer of a trifluoromethyl group from a simple Freon derivative (1,1,1-trichloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethane) into more complex organic molecules. Finally, the 1:1-adduct of trichloroacetylchloride with methyl acrylate allows a very convenient synthesis of novel N-substituted derivatives 66 of pyroglutamic acid as well as of proline.