One-Pot Synthesis of Highly Substituted Nicotinic Acid Derivatives Based on a Formylation Strategy of Enamino Keto Esters

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/acs.joc.5b02796

(Chemical Equation Presented). A facile one-pot synthesis of 4-chloro or 4-bromonicotinic acid esters with optional 2- and 2,5-disubstitution on the pyridine ring has been developed from easily accessible enamino keto esters by a formylation followed by in situ intramolecular cyclization strategy under optimized Vilsmeier reaction conditions. The effect of the substituents on the β-carbon and the nature of the keto functionality were explored in detail to understand the mechanism of pyridine ring formation under the described conditions.

Full text of DOI:10.1021/acs.joc.5b02796

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Article
One-pot Synthesis of Highly Substituted Nicotinic Acid Derivatives
Based on a Formylation Strategy of Enamino Keto Esters
Sukeerthi Kumar, Aarti A. Sawant, Rajendra P. Chikhale, Keya Karanjai, and Abraham Thomas
J. Org. Chem., Just Accepted Manuscript • DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.5b02796 • Publication Date (Web): 02 Feb 2016
Downloaded from http://pubs.acs.org on February 4, 2016
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The Journal of Organic Chemistry
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One-pot Synthesis of Highly Substituted Nicotinic Acid Derivatives
Based on a Formylation Strategy of Enamino Keto Esters
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Sukeerthi Kumar; Aarti A. Sawant; Rajendra P. Chikhale; Keya Karanjai and Abraham Thomas*
Medicinal Chemistry Division, Glenmark Research Centre, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Navi Mumbai - 400709, India.
ABSTRACT: A facile one-pot synthesis of 4-chloro or 4-bromonicotinic acid esters with optional 2- and 2,5-disubstitution on the
pyridine ring has been developed from easily accessible enamino keto esters by a formylation followed by in situ intramolecular
cyclization strategy under optimized Vilsmeier reaction conditions. The effect of the substituents on the -carbon and the nature of
the keto functionality were explored in detail to understand the mechanism of pyridine ring formation under the described condi-
tions.
1.
INTRODUCTION
While nicotinic acid (niacin) is used as a drug to treat dyslipidemia, its derivatives, especially the ester derivatives are used as
therapeutic agents for diverse indications.1 Hexopal, etofibrate, tazarotene, nicergoline, nicomorphine, morniflumate, nikethamide
and nicardipine are some of the marketed drugs that contain the nicotinic acid core. Apart from these nicotinic acid based drugs,
several substituted pyridines, especially 2-aryl pyridines are prevalent in many natural products, pharmaceuticals and agrochemi-
cals.2 2-Substituted pyridines are generally prepared from the corresponding 2-halopyridines through displacement reactions or
transition metal-assisted coupling reactions.3 However, direct halogenation of functionalized pyridine or functionalization of halo-
genated pyridine is often difficult to accomplish due to poor reactivity of the pyridine ring under electrophilic reaction conditions.4
We required 2-phenyl-4-(3-(trifluoromethyl)-phenyl)-1H-pyrazolo[4,3-c]pyridin-3(2H)-one and its derivatives for screening in
one of our ongoing medicinal chemistry projects. As outlined in Figure 1, this class of compounds is best prepared from
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Figure 1. Synthesis of pyrazolopyridin-3(2H)-one derivatives.
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4-halonicotinic acid esters (e.g. 5g or 5n). The reported procedure for the synthesis of 2-substituted 4-halonicotinic acid esters com-
prises of 4 steps from 2-chloronicotinic acid esters. The steps involved are (i) Suzuki coupling (ii) ester hydrolysis (iii) directed
metallation/bromination and (iv) re-esterification with (trimethylsilyl)diazomethane to give the corresponding methyl ester.3 The
overall approach is cumbersome and involves expensive chemicals and reagents.
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In this study we report a novel one-pot methodology for the synthesis of various 2- and 2,5-disubstituted nicotinic acid esters
starting from easily accessible enamino keto esters.
2.
RESULTS AND DISSCUSSION
We envisioned that the bifunctional substrate, ethyl 2-(aminomethylene)-3-oxobutanoate 1, bearing an appropriately positioned
amino group and an enolizable ketone could be used as starting material for a mechanistically viable approach for the synthesis of
4-halonicotinic acid esters as shown in Scheme 1. We reasoned that enamino keto ester 1 could be formylated to give the N-formyl
derivative 2, which on in situ intramolecular condensation via its enol tautomer 3 would give pyridone 4.5 The 4-pyridone deriva-
tives are well known to yield the corresponding 4-halopyridines upon treatment with phosphorus halides or phosphorus oxyhalides.6
Scheme 1. Proposed Synthetic Approach for Pyridine 5
We chose ethyl 2-(amino(phenyl)methylene)-3-oxobutanoate 1a (R1 = Ph) as a test substrate for feasibility studies. Initial
formylation attempts using acetic formic anhydride7 and formic acid in the presence of zinc oxide8 failed to give the desired N-
formyl derivative 2a. We also attempted the introduction of a dimethylamino methylene group (formyl equivalent) either on the
amino group or on the active methylene carbon using N,N-dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal (DMF-DMA) at elevated tempera-
ture, but without success.9,6b In yet another attempt, we explored the possibility of formylation 1a under Vilsmeier reaction condi-
tions.10 The reaction of 1a with Vilsmeier reagent (DMF-POCl3) in dichloromethane at ambient temperature overnight resulted in
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the formation of small amounts of a nonpolar product that was characterized as the chloropyridine 5a based on spectral and analyti-
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cal data.
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With evidence of a direct formation of chloropyridine 5a in hand, we sought to optimize the reaction conditions for improved
synthesis of 5a. The details of the conditions screened are given in Table 1. The reaction of 1a with 1.5 equiv. of Vilsmeier reagent
in dichloromethane for 24 h afforded the pyridine 5a in 9% isolated yield (entry 1). Part of the enamino keto ester 1a remained un-
changed under this condition. The yield of 5a was increased to 21% with excess of Vilsmeier reagent (3 equiv.) in dichloromethane
(entry 2). The reaction of 1a with 3.0 equiv. of Vilsmeier reagent in ethylene dichloride (EDC) at 80 °C for 12 h showed significant
improvement in the yield (43%). The use of DMF as a cosolvent in the reaction at room temperature resulted in incomplete conver-
sion and pyridine 5a was isolated in 32% yield. A reaction carried out with excess reagent (3 equiv.) at 80 °C in DMF for a shorter
reaction time of 1 h yielded 69% of 5a. A similar yield (65%) was obtained when the reaction was performed at 90 °C in DMF as a
solvent (not shown in Table 1). However, the reactions conducted above 90 °C showed significant reduction in the yield due to
polymerization (entry 6). The reaction of 1a with Vilsmeier reagent prepared from DMF and oxalyl chloride resulted in poor yield
(27%) due to polymerization (entry 7).10,11 A reaction using thionyl chloride under identical conditions gave 5a in poor 38% isolat-
ed yield (entry 8).10,12
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Table 1. Optimization of Reaction Conditions
entry
reagent
X
solvent/conditions yielda
(%)
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2
3
4
5
6
7
8
DMF-POCl3
DMF-POCl3
DMF-POCl3
DMF-POCl3
DMF-POCl3
DMF-POCl3
DMF-(COCl)2
DMF-SOCl2
1.5
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.0
CH2Cl2, r.t., 24h
CH2Cl2, r.t., 24h
EDC, 80 °C, 12h
DMF, r.t., 24h
9b
21b
43
32b
69
DMF, 80 °C, 1h
DMF, 110 °C, 1h
DMF, 80 °C, 1h
DMF, 80 °C, 1h
58
27c
38c
aYields are of pure isolated products. bIncomplete reaction and starting material recovered. cSignificant polymerization observed.
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The optimization studies discussed above clearly suggested that DMF was the solvent of choice over halogenated solvents. The
reaction was very sensitive to temperature and 80–85 °C gave the optimum results. The addition of enamino keto ester to the pre-
heated reagent and reducing the reaction time had beneficial effects in improving the yield. The best yield was obtained when 1a
was treated with 3 equiv. of Vilsmeier reagent in DMF for 1 h at 8085 °C.
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During the optimization studies, we observed that chloropyridine 5a was formed as the only major isolable product under Vils-
meier reaction conditions, whereas pyridone 4 (R1 = Ph) was not observed. The absence of pyridone in the reaction mixture sug-
gested that Vilsmeier reagent preferentially reacts with the acyl group rather than the amino group to form the intermediate chlo-
rovinyl iminium salt 2b,10 which then undergoes intramolecular cyclization to give chloropyridine 5a (Figure 2). The intermediate
iminium salt 2c (enol form is shown) required for the formation of pyridone was not formed in the reaction.
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Figure 2. Suggested Vilsmeier intermediates 2b and 2c.
Having established the best conditions, various enamino keto esters were subjected to the optimized reaction conditions to evalu-
ate the scope and generality of this transformation. The required enamino keto esters 1a, 1ek were prepared by SnCl4 assisted ad-
dition of ethyl acetoacetate to aryl- or heteroaryl nitriles according to a known procedure.13 The methyl derivative 1b and the tert-
butyl derivative 1d were prepared from the reaction of corresponding nitriles with ethyl bromoacetate under Blaise reaction condi-
tions followed by in situ acylation of the enamine ester.14 The trifluoromethyl derivative 1c was prepared by potassium tert-
butoxide-assisted addition of ethyl acetoacetate to trifluoroacetonitrile, generated in situ from 2,2,2-trifluoroacetamide.15 It may be
noted that the enamino keto esters 1ak are capable of existing as two geometrical isomers.16 Careful examination of proton NMR
spectra of these enamino keto esters revealed that they exist as E-isomers as the two amino protons showed separate signals approx-
imately at 5.5 and 11 ppm. In the E-geometry, one of the amino protons forms an intramolecular hydrogen bond (NH…O bond)
with the acyl oxygen and thus appears downfield at around 11 ppm.
The optimized Vilsmeier reaction conditions for 1a were then applied to substrates 1bk and the results are shown in Table 2.
The reaction of 1b with the methyl group on the -carbon gave disappointing results and the pyridine 5b was isolated in poor 26%
yield. Several attempts to improve the yield of 5b under varying conditions failed because of incomplete conversion and formation
of polar side products. It is noteworthy that the corresponding fluorinated analogue 1c gave an excellent yield (71%) of pyridine 5c.
Even the substrate 1d, bearing a bulky tert-butyl group at the -position of the enamino keto ester was smoothly transformed into
the corresponding pyridine 5d (entry 4). The probable reason for the poor yield of 5b could be attributed to the presence of acidic
methyl protons on the substrate 1b. The substrates bearing neutral or electron withdrawing aryl substituents at the -position of the
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enamino keto esters were smoothly transformed into the corresponding pyridines in good yields (entries 58). The substrate bearing
an electron donating aryl group (1i) or a basic electron donating aryl group (1j) both resulted in slightly lower yields (entries 9 and
10). The substrate 1k with a 2-thienyl group on the -carbon resulted in the formation of 5k in good yields (70%). We next ex-
plored the scope of this approach for the synthesis of 4-bromonicotinic acid esters using phosphorous oxybromide (POBr3) instead
of POCl3 in the Vilsmeier reaction. The bromopyridines 5ln were isolated in relatively better yields compared to the correspond-
ing chloro compounds 5a, 5f and 5g (entries1214). We were pleased to note that the methodology worked quite well across a vari-
ety of substituents on the -carbon of the enamino keto ester and also was useful for the synthesis of both 4-chloro- and 4-
bromonicotinic acid esters.
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Table 2. Synthesis of Pyridine Esters 5an
entry SM
R1
pyridine
X
yielda
(%)
1
C6H5
Cl
Cl
Cl
Cl
Cl
Cl
Cl
Cl
Cl
Cl
Cl
Br
Br
Br
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26
71
59
61
63
67
86
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52
70
80
76
73
1a
1b
1c
1d
1e
1f
5a
5b
5c
5d
5e
5f
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CH3
3
CF3
4
C(CH3)3
2-FC6H4
4-FC6H4
3-CF3C6H4
4-NO2C6H4
4-MeOC6H4
4-(CH3)2NC6H4
2-thienyl
C6H5
5
6
7
1g
1h
1i
5g
5h
5i
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9
10
11
12
13
14
1j
5j
1k
1a
1f
5k
5l
4-FC6H4
3-CF3C6H4
5m
5n
1g
aYields are of pure isolated products.
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We next sought to explore the scope of the reaction for the synthesis of 2,5-disubstituted nicotinic acid esters as shown in Table
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3. The desired enamino keto esters 1lr bearing homologues keto functionality on the -carbon were prepared from benzonitrile
and appropriate -keto esters as described in the case of 1a.13 Enamino keto esters 1lr also existed as the E-isomers.16 The treat-
ment of 3-oxopentanoate ester 1l with Vilsmeier reagent under optimized reaction conditions resulted in the formation of two dis-
tinct products (TLC). The LC-MS/MS analysis of the reaction mixture after aqueous work-up showed molecular ion peaks at 258
(RT = 11.4 min) and 276 (RT = 12.3 min). The mass spectrum of the polar compound was devoid of a chloro pattern, whereas the
nonpolar compound clearly showed the presence of a chlorine atom in the molecule as in the case of 5ak. The nonpolar com-
pound was characterized as the pyridine 5o (38%) and the polar product formed was characterized as the pyridone 4a (22%). The 3-
oxohexanoate derivative 1m also gave a mixture of pyridone 4b (26%) and pyridine 5p (32%) under the same reaction conditions.
The branched chain 5-methyl-3-oxohexanoate derivative 1n under the described reaction conditions afforded a single product in
63% yield, which was characterized as the pyridone 4c. The 5,5-dimethyl-3-oxohexanoate derivative 1o also yielded pyridone 4d
in 45% yield as a single product. The 6-methyl-3-oxoheptanoate derivative 1p gave pyridone 4e as the major product (50%) and
pyridine 5s (12%) as the minor product. The 3-oxo-4-phenylbutanoate ester 1q also gave a mixture of pyridone 4f (23%) and pyri-
dine 5t (41%). A similar trend was observed in the case of 4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-oxobutanoate 1r and resulted in the formation of
a mixture of products 4g (26%) and 5u (43%).
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Table 3. Synthesis of Pyridones 4ag and Pyridines 5ou
entry
1
SM
R2
4 (%)a
5 (%)a
CH3
4a (22)
5o (38)
1l
2
3
4
5
6
7
CH2CH3
4b (26)
4c (63)
4d (45)
4e (50)
4f (23)
4g (26)
5p (32)
5q (-)b
5r (-)b
5s (12)
5t (41)
5u (43)
1m
1n
1o
1p
1q
1r
CH(CH3)2
C(CH3)3
CH2CH(CH3)2
C6H5
4-MeOC6H4
aParenthetic values are the isolated yield of the products. bPyridines 5q and 5r were not formed in the reaction.
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The mechanistic aspects of the reaction discussed previously suggest that pyridone 4 and pyridine 5 are formed independently in
the reaction mixture (Figure 2). To further confirm this hypothesis, we carried out a Vilsmeier reaction of 1l with 6.0 equiv. of
POCl3 and 3.0 equiv. of DMF using EDC as a cosolvent at 80 °C. The reaction resulted in the formation of a mixture of 4a and 5o
(TLC) as in the previous reaction. The free POCl3 present in the reaction mixture failed to convert 4a to the corresponding chloro-
pyridine 5o through dehydrohalogenation even after extending the reaction for another 3 h. The formation of pyridones 4c and 4d
as lone products in the case of substrates 1n and 1o respectively, can be rationalized on the basis of the reactivity of the keto func-
tionality toward Vilsmeier reagent. The branched alkyl group adjacent to the active methylene carbon impedes the formation of
chlorovinyl iminium intermediate 2b. Therefore, formylation preferentially occurs at the amino end to give the intermediate 2c
which leads to the exclusive formation of pyridones 4c and 4d.
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The formation of pyridones as unexpected product in case of 1lr can be viewed as a limitation to the stated objective of this
methodology for the synthesis of 2,5-disubstituted nicotinic acid esters. Therefore, we attempted conversion of selected 4-pyridones
to the corresponding 4-chloropyridines and the results are shown in Table 4. Appropriately substituted 4-pyridones are reported to
yield the corresponding 4-halopyridines upon treatment with a variety of phosphorus- halides or oxyhalides such as PCl5, PBr3,
POCl3 or POBr3.6 The treatment of pyridone 4c with excess POCl3 at 100 °C for 1 h indeed afforded the desired chloropyridine 5q
in 69% yield. However, the pyridone 4d under identical conditions failed to give the expected pyridine 5r. Forcing the reaction at
elevated temperature (120 °C) resulted in a complex mixture of products. The failure of this reaction may be attributed to the steric
hindrance offered by the bulky tert-butyl group, which precludes the approach of the reagent to the adjacent carbonyl group. The
diaryl pyridones 4f and 4g were also transformed smoothly into the corresponding pyridines 5t and 5u in 72 and 76% yield respec-
tively.
Table 4. Conversion of Pyridones to Pyridines
entry
1
R2
5 (%)a
4
CH(CH3)2
5q (69)
4c
2
3
4
C(CH3)3
C6H5
5r (-)b
5t (72)
5u (76)
4d
4f
4-MeOC6H4
4g
aParenthetic values are isolated yields of the products. bPyridone 4d failed to give pyridine 5r.
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3.
CONCLUSION
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2
In conclusion, we have developed a simple, one-pot formylation/cyclization strategy for the synthesis of 2-substituted and 2,5-
3
4
disubstituted 4-halonicotinic acid esters starting from easily accessible enamino keto esters bearing appropriate substituents at the 
5
6
7
8
and/or  carbon atoms. The methodology developed has an advantage of introducing up to four substituents onto a pyridine ring in
a single step and does not use any expensive intermediates or reagents. Furthermore, the chlorine or bromine substituent at 4-
position of the pyridine ring can be gainfully exploited for the introduction of additional substituents or functional groups for fur-
ther synthetic transformations. To the best of our knowledge, direct synthesis of 2- and 2,5-disubstituted 4-halonicotinic acid esters
from enamino keto esters has not been reported previously.
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4.
EXPERIMENTAL SECTION
1
General Information. Melting points are uncorrected. Infrared spectra were recorded on a FT-IR Spectrometer. H NMR spectra
were recorded on a 300 MHz FT NMR spectrometer in either CDCl3 or DMSO-d6 as specified using tetramethylsilane as internal
standard. 13C NMR spectra were recorded on either a 300 MHz FT NMR spectrometer or a 400 MHz spectrometer at 75 and 100
MHz respectively. Chemical shifts are quoted in ppm (δ) relative to TMS (1H) using residual protonated solvent as internal stand-
ard. Routine mass spectra (MS) were recorded by direct infusion method using ESI or APCI source at positive or negative polarity
mode. High-resolution mass spectra (HRMS) of compounds were measured on a LTQ Orbitrap Discovery MS system coupled with
LQT Tune Plus software - operating in a positive electron spray ionization (ESI) mode.
Preparation of Enamino Keto Esters 1ar
Typical Procedure for the Preparation of (E)-Ethyl 2-[amino(phenyl)methylidene]-3-oxobutanoate (1a)13,14 (Method
A). To a stirred solution of benzonitrile (10 mL, 0.097 mmol) in toluene (150 mL) was added ethyl acetoacetate (12.4 mL, 0.097
mmol) followed by stannic chloride (11.74 mL, 0.097 mmol) at room temperature and the resultant mixture was refluxed for 3 h.
The mixture was cooled to ambient temperature and quenched carefully with saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution (400
mL). The mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate (3 x 200 mL). The combined extracts were washed with water (2 x 250 mL) and
dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate (Na2SO4). The residue obtained after evaporation of solvent was purified by flash silica gel
column chromatography using 20% ethyl acetate (EtOAc) in petroleum ether to yield 14.02 g (62%) of product as a white solid. Mp
1
66 68 °C; Rf = 0.5 (EtOAc/petroleum ether, 3:7); IR (KBr) cm-1: 3381, 3112, 1679, 1599, 1295, 1132; H NMR (300 MHz,
CDCl3)  0.72 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 3H), 2.35 (s, 3H), 3.73 (q, J = 6.9 Hz, 2H), 5.61 (br s, 1H), 7.347.47 (m, 5H), 10.94 (br s, 1H); ESI-
MS (m/z) 234 (M+H)+. [CAS RN: 21486-57-7]
Typical Procedure for the Preparation of (E)-Ethyl 2-acetyl-3-aminobut-2-enoate (1b)14 (Method B). To a stirred sus-
pension of zinc dust (6.51 g, 99.571 mmol) in dry THF (40 mL) was added catalytic amount of methane sulfonic acid (16 µL, 0.249
mmol) and the mixture was refluxed for 10 min. To the refluxing mixture was added acetonitrile (2.5 mL, 48.721 mmol) followed
by ethyl bromoacetate (8 mL, 80.00 mmol) over 1.0 h. The reaction mixture was gradually cooled to 0 °C and n-butyllithium in
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hexane (1.6 M, 30.2 mL, 49.890 mmol) was added followed by acetic anhydride (6.0 mL, 63.591 mmol). The reaction mixture was
then stirred at room temperature for 3.0 h. The mixture was quenched with saturated aqueous ammonium chloride solution (150
mL), and extracted with ethyl acetate (3 x 200 mL). The combined organic extracts were dried over anhydrous Na2SO4. The residue
obtained after evaporation of solvent was purified by flash silica gel column chromatography using 20% EtOAc in petroleum ether
to yield 6.75 g (81%) of product as pale yellow oil. Rf = 0.4 (EtOAc/petroleum ether, 3:7); IR (KBr) cm-1 3259, 2986, 1703, 1601,
1469, 1285, 1133, 1058, 709; 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  1.32 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H), 2.23 (s, 3H), 2.30 (s, 3H), 4.23 (q, J = 7.2 Hz,
2H), 5.70 (br s, 1H), 11.05 (br s, 1H); ESI-MS (m/z) 172 (M+H)+. [CAS RN: 26682-94-0]
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Typical Procedure for the Preparation of (E)-Ethyl 2-acetyl-3-amino-4,4,4-trifluorobut-2-enoate (1c)15 (Method C).
A stirred solution of 2,2,2-trifluoroacetamide (1.30 g, 11.526 mmol) in dry pyridine (10 mL) was added trifluoroacetic anhydride
(1.63 mL, 11.526 mmol) at room temperature. The trifluoroacetonitrile gas thus formed was directly bubbled into a stirred solution
containing ethyl acetoacetate (0.98 mL, 7.684 mmol) and potassium tert-butoxide (26 mg, 0.231 mmol) in anhydrous tetrahydrofu-
ran (10 mL) at room temperature. The reaction mixture was stirred overnight. The mixture was concentrated and the residue ob-
tained was dissolved in ethyl acetate (200 mL). The solution was washed with water (2 x 50 mL) and dried over anhydrous Na2SO4.
The solution was concentrated under reduced pressure to result a viscous yellow residue. The residue was purified by flash silica
gel column chromatography using 10% EtOAc in petroleum ether to yield 1.20 g (69%) of product as white solid. Mp 6163 °C; Rf
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= 0.5 (EtOAc/petroleum ether, 2:8); H NMR (300 MHz, DMSO-d6)  1.21 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 3H), 2.17 (s, 3H), 4.15 (q, J = 6.9 Hz,
2H), 8.99 (br s, 1H), 10.13 (br s, 1H); HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C8H10F3NO3, 226.0679, found 226.0685. [CAS RN:
22070-95-7]
(E)-Ethyl 2-acetyl-3-amino-4,4-dimethylpent-2-enoate (1d). The coupling reaction of tert-butyl nitrile (7.0 mL, 63.322 mmol)
with ethyl bromoacetate (10.5 mL, 94.983 mmol) in the presence of zinc dust (8.28 mg, 126.644 mmol) and catalytic amount of
methanesulfonic acid followed by acetylation of the resultant enamine ester with acetic anhydride (9.0 mL, 95.386 mmol) in the
presence of n-butyllithium in hexane (1.6 M, 47.5 mL, 75.986 mmol) as per the procedure described in the case of 1b (Method B)
gave 7.02 g (52%) of the titled compound 1d as a colorless oil. Rf = 0.3 (EtOAc/petroleum ether, 2:8); 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)
 1.34 (s, 9H), 1.36 (t, J = 7.5 Hz, 3H), 2.14 (s, 3H), 4.21 (q, J = 7.5 Hz, 2H), 5.64 (br s, 1H), 11.76 (br s, 1H); 13C NMR (100
MHz, CDCl3) 13.8, 28.3, 28.5 (3C), 37.7, 60.9, 103.3, 172.0, 173.2, 194.3; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C11H19NO3
214.1433, found 214.1437.
(E)-Ethyl 2-[amino(2-fluorophenyl)methylidene]-3-oxobutanoate (1e).13 Reaction of 2-fluorobenzonitrile (4.0 g, 33.027
mmol) with ethyl acetoacetate (4.3 mL, 33.702 mmol) in the presence of stannic chloride (3.9 mL, 33.236 mmol) as described in
Method A yielded 4.98 g (60%) of the product as off-white solid. Mp 6871 °C; Rf = 0.6 (EtOAc/petroleum ether, 3:7); 1H NMR
(300 MHz, CDCl3)  0.81 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 3H), 2.39 (s, 3H), 3.84 (q, J = 6.9 Hz, 2H), 5.58 (br s, 1H), 7.027.24 (m, 2H), 7.257.35
(m, 1H), 7.367.47 (m, 1H), 11.11 (br s, 1H); ESI-MS (m/z) 252 (M+H)+. [CAS RN: 1172590-40-7]
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(E)-Ethyl 2-[amino(4-fluorophenyl)methylidene]-3-oxobutanoate (1f).14 Reaction of 4-fluorobenzonitrile (8.0 g, 66.055
mmol) with ethyl acetoacetate (8.4 mL, 65.936 mmol) in the presence of stannic chloride (7.8 mL, 66.472 mmol) as described in
Method A yielded 10.45 g (63%) of the product as white solid. Mp 6062 °C; Rf = 0.6 (EtOAc/petroleum ether, 3:7); IR (KBr) cm-
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1 3342, 3136, 1673, 1606, 1471, 1295, 1057, 851; H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  0.82 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 3H), 2.36 (s, 3H), 3.81 (q, J =
6.9 Hz, 2H), 5.47 (br s, 1H), 7.067.15 (m, 2H), 7.307.39 (m, 2H), 10.93 (br s, 1H); ESI-MS (m/z) 252 (M+H)+. [CAS RN:
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1092970-67-6]
(E)-Ethyl
2-{amino[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]
methylidene}-3-oxobutanoate
(1g).
Reaction
of
3-
(trifluoromethyl)benzonitrile (8.0 g, 46.750 mmol) with ethyl acetoacetate (6.0 mL, 47.026 mmol) in the presence of stannic chlo-
ride (6.0 mL, 47.026 mmol) as described in Method A yielded 8.16 g (58%) of the product as a colorless oil. Rf = 0.7
(EtOAc/petroleum ether, 3:7); IR (KBr) cm-1 3312, 2984, 1671, 1603, 1327, 1120, 807, 702; 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  0.75 (t,
J = 6.9 Hz, 3H), 2.39 (s, 3H), 3.78 (q, J = 6.9 Hz, 2H), 5.48 (br s, 1H), 7.56 (d, J = 3.9 Hz, 2H), 7.64 (s, 1H), 7.687.75 (m, 1H),
10.98 (br s, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 13.2, 29.7, 60.1, 104.4, 123.7 (q, J = 274.0 Hz), 123.8, 125.4, 126.4, 126.6, 130.5 (q,
J = 32.6 Hz), 139.1, 164.9, 169.0, 197.6; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C14H14F3NO3 302.0998, found 302.0991.
Ethyl 2-(amino(4-nitrophenyl)methylene)-3-oxobutanoate (1h).17 Reaction of 4-nitrobenzonitrile (3.0 g, 20.253 mmol) with
ethyl acetoacetate (2.6 mL, 20.253 mmol) in the presence of stannic chloride (2.4 mL, 20.253 mmol) as described in Method A
yielded 3.7 g (66%) of the product as pale yellow solid. Mp 9193 °C; Rf = 0.3 (EtOAc/petroleum ether, 3:7); IR (KBr) cm-1 3290,
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2991, 1703, 1590, 1463, 1346, 1127, 874, 670; H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  0.81 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 3H), 2.40 (s, 3H), 3.81 (q, J =
6.9 Hz, 2H), 5.47 (br s, 1H), 7.55 (d, J = 8.4 Hz, 2H), 8.29 (d, J = 8.4 Hz, 2H), 11.05 (br s, 1H); APCI-MS (m/z) 279 (M+H)+.
[CAS RN: 1636141-15-5]
(E)-Ethyl 2-[amino(4-methoxyphenyl)methylidene]-3-oxobutanoate (1i).18 Reaction of 4-methoxybenzonitrile (6.0 g, 45.055
mmol) with ethyl acetoacetate (5.8 mL, 45.458 mmol) in the presence of stannic chloride (5.3 mL, 45.166 mmol) as described in
Method A yielded 7.47 g (63%) of the product as a yellow oil. Rf = 0.4 (EtOAc/petroleum ether, 3:7); IR (neat) cm-1 3333, 2901,
1696, 1607, 1461, 1219, 1252, 772; 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  0.84 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H), 2.34 (s, 3H), 3.84 (s, 3H), 3.86 (q, J =
7.2 Hz, 2H), 5.49 (br s, 1H), 6.92 (d, J = 7.8 Hz, 2H), 7.29 (d, J = 7.8 Hz, 2H), 10.90 (br s, 1H); 13C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3) 13.5,
29.3, 55.4, 60.1, 104.0, 114.0 (2C), 128.2 (2C), 130.5, 161.1, 166.5, 170.2, 196.6; ESI-MS (m/z) 264 (M+H)+.
(E)-Ethyl 2-{amino[4-(dimethylamino)phenyl] methylidene}-3-oxobutanoate (1j). Reaction of 4-(dimethylamino)benzonitrile
(4.0 g, 27.361 mmol) with ethyl acetoacetate (3.5 mL, 27.431 mmol) in the presence of stannic chloride (4.8 mL, 41.041 mmol) as
described in Method A yielded 5.59 g (74%) of the product as a yellow crystalline solid. Mp 120123 °C; Rf = 0.3
(EtOAc/petroleum ether, 3:7); IR (KBr) cm-1 3410, 3301, 2981, 1699, 1687, 1604, 1439, 1360, 1291, 1050; H NMR (300 MHz,
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CDCl3)  0.87 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 3H), 2.34 (s, 3H), 3.00 (s, 6H), 3.87 (q, J = 6.9 Hz, 2H), 5.46 (br s, 1H), 6.68 (d, J = 8.4 Hz, 2H), 7.27
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The Journal of Organic Chemistry
(d, J = 8.4 Hz, 2H), 10.95 (br s, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 13.8, 29.4, 40.3 (2C), 60.2, 103.6, 111.7 (2C), 125.3, 128.2 (2C),
152.0, 167.2, 170.9, 196.3; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C15H20N2O3 277.1546, found 277.1544.
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(E)-Ethyl 2-[amino(thiophen-2-yl)methylidene]-3-oxobutanoate (1k). Reaction of thiophene-2-carbonitrile (4.0 g, 36.646
mmol) with ethyl acetoacetate (4.7 mL, 36.837 mmol) in the presence of stannic chloride (4.3 mL, 36.646 mmol) as described in
Method A yielded 6.08 g (69%) of the product as a yellow oil. Rf = 0.5 (EtOAc/petroleum ether, 3:7); IR (neat) cm-1 3275, 3126,
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(br s, 1H), 7.06 (t, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H), 7.25 (d, J = 6.6 Hz, 1H), 7.45 (d, J = 4.5 Hz, 1H), 10.75 (br s, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3)
13.7, 29.4, 60.7, 105.1, 127.7, 128.3 (2C), 138.5, 158.0, 169.9, 196.5; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C11H13NO3S 240.0688,
found 240.0689.
(E)-Ethyl 2-[amino(phenyl)methylidene]-3-oxopentanoate (1l). Reaction of benzonitrile (3.0 g, 29.092 mmol) with ethyl 3-
oxopentanoate (4.2 mL, 29.481 mmol) using stannic chloride (3.5 mL, 29.827 mmol) as described in Method A afforded 4.68 g
(65%) of the product as a white solid. Mp 7275 °C; Rf = 0.6 (EtOAc/petroleum ether, 3:7); IR (KBr) cm-1 3390, 3166, 2973,
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1680, 1468, 1289, 1113, 1034, 705; H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  0.73 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H), 1.11 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H), 2.72 (q, J =
7.2 Hz, 2H), 3.76 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 5.44 (br s, 1H), 7.357.48 (m, 5H), 10.92 (br s, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 9.3, 13.5,
34.2, 60.2, 104.1, 126.8 (2C), 128.8 (2C), 130.1, 138.6, 166.3, 169.9, 200.4; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C14H17NO3
248.1281, found 248.1274.
(E)-Ethyl 2-[amino(phenyl)methylidene]-3-oxohexanoate (1m). Reaction of benzonitrile (5.0 g, 48.487 mmol) with ethyl 3-
oxohexanoate (7.9 mL, 49.087 mmol) using stannic chloride (5.7 mL, 48.575 mmol) as described in Method A afforded 6.96 g
(55%) of the product as a white solid. Mp 8790 °C; Rf = 0.6 (EtOAc/petroleum ether, 3:7); IR (KBr) cm-1 3338, 2985, 1671,
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1573, 1459, 1445, 1291, 1143, 1030, 998, 704; H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  0.74 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 3H), 0.94 (t, J = 9.0 Hz, 3H),
1.601.72 (m, 2H), 2.65 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 2H), 3.77 (q, J = 6.9 Hz, 2H), 5.45 (br s, 1H), 7.357.48 (m, 5H), 10.91 (br s, 1H); 13C
NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 13.3, 13.9, 18.5, 42.8, 60.0, 104.1, 126.6 (2C), 128.6 (2C), 129.9, 138.4, 166.1, 169.7, 199.6; HRMS (ESI):
m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C15H19NO3 262.1437, found 262.1430.
(E)-Ethyl 2-[amino(phenyl)methylidene]-5-methyl-3-oxohexanoate (1n). Reaction of benzonitrile (1.5 g, 14.546 mmol) with
ethyl 5-methyl-3-oxohexanoate (2.5 g, 14.516 mmol) as described in Method A afforded 2.28 g (57%) of the product as a white
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solid. Mp 7981 °C; Rf = 0.6 (EtOAc/petroleum ether, 2:8); IR (KBr) cm-1 3437, 2958, 1685, 1594, 1466, 1284, 1100, 779; H
NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  0.82 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 3H), 0.94 (d, J = 6.3 Hz, 6H), 2.102.21 (m, 1H), 2.56 (d, J = 6.3 Hz, 2H), 3.80 (q,
J = 6.9 Hz, 2H), 5.32 (br s, 1H), 7.357.43 (m, 5H), 10.98 (br s, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 13.5, 22.9, 25.8, 49.7, 60.2,
104.8, 126.8 (2C), 128.8 (2C), 130.1, 138.6, 166.3, 170.0, 199.4; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C16H21NO3 276.1588, found
276.1594.
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(E)-Ethyl 2-[amino(phenyl)methylidene]-5,5-dimethyl-3-oxohexanoate (1o). Reaction of benzonitrile (1.0 g, 9.697 mmol)
with ethyl 5,5-dimethyl-3-oxohexanoate (1.8 g, 9.670 mmol) using stannic chloride (1.2 mL, 10.226 mmol) as described in Method
A afforded 1.48 g (53%) of the product as a white solid. Mp 105109 °C; Rf = 0.6 (EtOAc/petroleum ether, 2:8); IR (KBr) cm-1
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1.03 (s, 9H), 2.66 (s, 2H), 3.70 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 5.41 (br s, 1H), 7.357.46 (m, 5H), 11.13 (br s, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz,
CDCl3) 13.5, 30.2 (3C), 32.0, 51.7, 60.2, 106.1, 126.9 (2C), 128.8 (2C), 130.1, 138.7, 166.1, 170.3, 199.3; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M +
H]+ calcd for C17H23NO3 290.1750, found 290.1745.
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(E)-Ethyl 2-[amino(phenyl)methylidene]-5-methyl-3-oxohexanoate (1p). Reaction of benzonitrile (1.0 g, 9.697 mmol) with
ethyl 6-methyl-3-oxoheptanoate (1.8 g, 9.670 mmol) using stannic chloride (1.2 mL, 10.226 mmol) as described in Method A af-
forded 1.79 g (64%) of the product as a colorless oil. Rf = 0.6 (EtOAc/petroleum ether, 2:8); IR (KBr) cm-1 3354, 2955, 2869,
1700, 1597, 1466, 1282, 1131, 772; 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  0.73 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 3H), 0.90 (d, J = 5.7 Hz, 6H), 1.491.70 (m,
3H), 2.69 (t, J = 5.7 Hz, 2H), 3.76 (q, J = 6.9 Hz, 2H), 5.42 (br s, 1H), 7.347.49 (m, 5H), 10.96 (br s, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz,
CDCl3) 13.6, 22.7 (2C), 28.1, 34.4, 39.1, 60.3, 104.3, 126.9 (2C), 128.8 (2C), 130.2, 138.5, 166.4, 169.9, 200.2; HRMS (ESI): m/z
[M + H]+ calcd for C17H23NO3 290.1750, found 290.1742.
(E)-Ethyl 2-[amino(phenyl)methylidene]-3-oxo-4-phenylbutanoate (1q). Reaction of benzonitrile (1.0 g, 9.697 mmol) with
ethyl 3-oxo-4-phenylbutanoate (2.0 g, 9.697 mmol) using stannic chloride (1.2 mL, 10.226 mmol) as described in Method A af-
forded 2.1 g (70%) of the product as a white solid. Mp 6768 °C; Rf = 0.6 (EtOAc/petroleum ether, 3:7); IR (KBr) cm-1 3444,
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2983, 2927, 1731, 1434, 1231, 703; H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  0.69 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 3H), 3.74 (q, J = 6.9 Hz, 2H), 4.06 (s, 2H),
5.50 (br s, 1H), 7.227.48 (m, 10H), 10.89 (br s, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 13.4, 47.2, 60.2, 103.9, 126.5, 126.8, 128.3 (2C),
128.7 (2C), 129.9 (3C), 130.1, 136.4, 138.4, 167.3, 169.8, 196.7; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C19H19NO3 310.1437, found
310.1431.
(E)-Ethyl 2-[amino(phenyl)methylidene]-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-oxobutanoate (1r). Reaction of benzonitrile (1.5 g, 14.546
mmol) with ethyl 4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-oxobutanoate (3.4 g, 14.546 mmol) using stannic chloride (1.8 mL, 15.339 mmol) as
described in Method A afforded 2.66 g (54%) of the product as a white solid. Mp 132136 °C; Rf = 0.6 (EtOAc/petroleum ether,
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3:7); IR (KBr) cm-1 3417, 3172, 1687, 1592, 1462, 1280, 1103, 1032; H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  0.68 (d, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H), 3.72
(q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 3.76 (s, 3H), 3.97 (s, 2H), 5.55 (br s, 1H), 6.83 (d, J = 9.0 Hz, 2H), 7.17 (d, J = 9.0 Hz, 2H), 7.307.46 (m, 5H),
10.87 (br s, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 13.3, 46.2, 55.1, 60.1, 103.7, 113.7 (2C), 126.6, 128.2, 128.6 (2C), 130.0, 130.7 (3C),
138.3, 158.2, 166.9, 169.6, 197.0; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C20H21NO4 340.1543, found 340.1535.
Preparation of 2-Substituted Nicotinic Acid Esters 5an
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Typical Procedure for the Preparation of Ethyl 4-chloro-2-phenylpyridine-3-carboxylate (5a). Phosphorus oxychloride
(0.6 mL, 6.437 mmol) was added to dry N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) (0.55 mL, 7.133 mmol) at 0 °C under nitrogen atmosphere
and the mixture was then stirred at room temperature for 1 h. A solution of enamino keto ester 1a (500 mg, 2.143 mmol) in dry
DMF (5.0 mL) was added slowly (3 min) to the reagent (exothermic reaction) and the mixture was further stirred at 8085 °C (oil
bath temperature) for 1 h to result a reddish brown solution. The mixture was cooled to 0 °C and carefully quenched with saturated
aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate (150 mL). The mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate (3 x 50 mL) and the combined
organic extracts were washed with water (3 x 50 mL). The solution was dried over anhydrous Na2SO4 and concentrated under vac-
uum to afford a brown residue. The crude product was purified by flash silica gel column chromatography using 5% acetone in
petroleum ether to yield 387 mg (69%) of 5a as a colorless oil. Rf = 0.6 (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 2982, 1735,
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5.4 Hz, 1H), 7.397.45 (m, 3H), 7.487.63 (m, 2H), 8.61(d, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 13.8, 62.3, 122.9, 128.4
(2C), 128.6 (2C), 129.2, 129.5, 138.7, 142.0, 150.4, 158.0, 166.1; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C14H12ClNO2 262.0629,
found 262.0623.
Ethyl 4-chloro-2-methylpyridine-3-carboxylate (5b).19 Reaction of 1b (1.0 g, 5.841 mmol) with Vilsmeier reagent prepared
from POCl3 (1.6 mL, 17.165 mmol) and DMF (1.5 mL, 19.455 mmol) as described in the typical procedure afforded 303 mg (26%)
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of 5b as a colorless oil. Rf = 0.5 (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 2982, 1734, 1570, 1556, 1274, 1113, 1075, 854; H
NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  1.42 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H), 2.58 (s, 3H), 4.46 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.22 (d, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H) 8.42 (d, J = 5.4
Hz, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 14.3, 22.8, 62.4, 122.2, 129.7, 141.5, 149.9, 156.9, 166.1; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd
for C9H10ClNO2 200.0472, found 200.0475. [CAS RN: 164390-30-1]
Ethyl 4-chloro-2-(trifluoromethyl)pyridine-3-carboxylate (5c). Reaction of 1c (850 mg, 3.774 mmol) with Vilsmeier reagent
prepared from POCl3 (1.1 mL, 11.801 mmol) and DMF (1.0 mL, 12.970 mmol) as described in the typical procedure afforded 680
mg (71%) of 5c as a colorless oil. Rf = 0.6 (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 2987, 1746, 1574, 1321, 1321, 1273,
1147, 1063, 838. 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  1.41 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H), 4.48 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.59 (d, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H), 8.66 (d,
J = 5.4 Hz, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 14.1, 63.3, 120.8 (q, J = 273.6 Hz), 127.4, 129.1, 143.3, 145.8 (q, J = 35.4 Hz), 150.5,
163.4; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C9H7ClF3NO2 254.0190, found 254.0182.
Ethyl 2-tert-butyl-4-chloropyridine-3-carboxylate (5d). Reaction of 1d (1.0 g, 4.688 mmol) with Vilsmeier reagent prepared
from POCl3 (1.3 mL, 13.947 mmol) and DMF (1.2 mL, 15.564 mmol) as described in the typical procedure afforded 669 mg (59%)
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of 5d as a colorless oil. Rf = 0.6 (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 2964, 1732, 1546, 1260, 1064, 758; H NMR (300
MHz, CDCl3)  1.40 (br s, 12H), 4.42 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.21 (d, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H) 8.47 (d, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz,
CDCl3) 13.8, 30.1 (3C), 39.9, 62.0, 121.6, 128.4, 141.8, 148.9, 165.9, 167.4; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C12H16ClNO2
242.0937, found 242.0942.
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Ethyl 4-chloro-2-(2-fluorophenyl)pyridine-3-carboxylate (5e). Reaction of 1e (1.0 g, 3.980 mmol) with Vilsmeier reagent
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prepared from POCl3 (1.1 mL, 11.801 mmol) and DMF (1.0 mL, 12.970 mmol) as described in the typical procedure afforded 679
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mg (61%) of 5e as a colorless oil; Rf = 0.6 (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (neat) cm-1 2983, 1733, 1547, 1256, 1128, 759; H
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NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  1.08 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 3H), 4.20 (q, J = 6.9 Hz, 2H), 7.107.28 (m, 2H), 7.377.52 (m, 3H), 8.63 (d, J =
4.8 Hz, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 13.8, 62.2, 115.9 (d, J = 21.7 Hz), 124.2 (d, J = 25.2 Hz), 124.4, 126.8, 130.2, 131.2 (d, J
= 8.0 Hz), 131.4 (d, J = 8.0 Hz), 142.5, 150.5, 154.1, 159.8 (d, J = 247.3 Hz), 165.1; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for
C14H11ClFNO2 280.0535, found 280.0538.
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Ethyl 4-chloro-2-(4-fluorophenyl)pyridine-3-carboxylate (5f). Reaction of 1f (1.0 g, 3.980 mmol) with Vilsmeier reagent pre-
pared from POCl3 (1.1 mL, 11.801 mmol) and DMF (1.0 mL, 12.970 mmol) as described in the typical procedure afforded 701 mg
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(63%) of 5f as a colorless oil. Rf = 0.6 (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 2983, 1734, 1561, 1253, 1124, 844, 756; H
NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  1.16 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H), 4.25 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.13 (t, J = 8.4 Hz, 2H), 7.38 (d, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H), 7.62
(t, J = 6.0 Hz, 2H), 8.61 (d, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 13.9, 62.4, 115.7 (d, J = 21.7 Hz, 2C), 123.0, 123.1, 129.2,
130.5 (d, J = 7.8 Hz, 2C), 142.1, 150.5 (2C), 162.2 (d, J = 248.5 Hz, 1C), 166.1; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for
C14H11ClFNO2 280.0535, found 280.0528.
Ethyl 4-chloro-2-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]pyridine-3-carboxylate (5g). Reaction of 1g (1.5 g, 4.979 mmol) with Vilsmeier
reagent prepared from POCl3 (1.4 mL, 15.019 mmol) and DMF (1.2 mL, 15.564 mmol) as described in the typical procedure af-
forded 1.10 g (67%) of 5g as a colorless oil. Rf = 0.7 (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 2987, 1732, 1551, 1334, 1133,
758; 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  1.16 (t, J = 7.5 Hz, 3H), 4.26 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.41 (t, J = 5.1 Hz, 1H), 7.58 (d, J = 7.8 Hz,
1H), 7.70 (d, J = 7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.84 (d, J = 7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.92 (s, 1H), 8.64 (d, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 13.8,
62.6, 123.6, 124.5 (q, J = 274.8 Hz), 126.2, 126.3, 129.3, 129.5, 131.2 (q, J = 32.9 Hz), 132.0, 139.4, 142.4, 150.7, 156.4, 165.8;
HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C15H11ClF3NO2 330.0503, found 330.0508.
Ethyl 4-chloro-2-(4-nitrophenyl)pyridine-3-carboxylate (5h). Reaction of 1h (500 mg, 1.797 mmol) with Vilsmeier reagent pre-
pared from POCl3 (0.50 mL, 5.392 mmol) and DMF (0.46 mL, 5.929 mmol) as described in the typical procedure afforded 474 mg
(86%) of 5h as a yellow solid. Mp 9799 °C; Rf = 0.25 (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 2988, 1733, 1523, 1351,
1260, 1109, 871; 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  1.18 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H), 4.27 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.46 (d, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H), 7.82 (d,
J = 8.4 Hz, 2H), 8.31 (d, J = 8.1 Hz, 2H), 8.66 (d, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 13.7, 62.5, 123.6 (2C), 123.9, 129.4,
129.5 (2C), 142.3, 144.6, 148.3, 150.6, 155.4, 165.4; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C14H11ClN2O4 307.0480, found
307.0470.
Ethyl 4-chloro-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)pyridine-3-carboxylate (5i). Reaction of 1i (1.0 g, 3.798 mmol) with Vilsmeier reagent
prepared from POCl3 (1.1 mL, 11.394 mmol) and DMF (1.0 mL, 12.970 mmol) as described in the typical procedure afforded 620
mg (56%) of 5i as a white solid. Mp 5558 °C; Rf = 0.5 (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 2925, 1729, 1609, 1257,
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1119, 1053, 844; 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  1.18 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 3H), 3.85 (s, 3H), 4.27 (q, J = 6.9 Hz, 2H), 6.96 (d, J = 8.7 Hz,
2H), 7.31 (d, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H), 7.60 (d, J = 8.7 Hz, 2H), 8.58 (d, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 13.8, 55.3, 62.1,
113.9 (2C), 122.1, 128.6, 129.8 (2C), 131.1, 141.7, 150.2, 157.4, 160.6, 166.3; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C15H14ClNO3
292.0735, found 292.0729.
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Ethyl 4-chloro-2-[4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]pyridine-3-carboxylate (5j). Reaction of 1j (1.5 g, 5.428 mmol) with Vilsmeier
reagent prepared from POCl3 (1.5 mL, 16.104 mmol) and DMF (1.4 mL, 18.158 mmol) as described in the typical procedure af-
forded 860 mg (52%) of 5j as a yellow viscous liquid. Rf = 0.4 (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 2981, 2897, 1731,
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1609, 1557, 1363, 1252, 1121, 820; H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  1.23 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H), 3.02 (s, 6H), 4.31 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H),
6.79 (d, J = 8.7 Hz, 2H), 7.25 (d, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H), 7.58 (d, J = 8.7 Hz, 2H), 8.55 (d, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3)
13.9, 40.4 (2C), 62.1, 112.1 (2C), 121.4, 126.4, 128.0, 129.5 (2C), 141.7, 150.1, 151.1, 157.8, 166.7; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+
calcd for C16H17ClN2O2 305.1051, found 305.1044.
Ethyl 4-chloro-2-(thiophen-2-yl)pyridine-3-carboxylate (5k). Reaction of 1k (1.0 g, 4.179 mmol) with Vilsmeier reagent pre-
pared from POCl3 (1.2 mL, 12.874 mmol) and DMF (1.1 mL, 14.267 mmol) as described in the typical procedure afforded 783 mg
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(70%) of 5k as a colorless oil. Rf = 0.7 (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 3019, 1731, 1215, 759; H NMR (300 MHz,
CDCl3)  1.35 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H), 4.44 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.08 (br s, 1H), 7.26 (br s, 1H), 7.37 (br s, 1H), 7.48 (d, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H),
8.51 (d, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 14.0, 62.7, 122.3, 126.9, 127. 4, 128.2 (2C), 129.6, 141.8, 142.1, 150.3, 166.3;
HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C12H10ClNO2S 268.0193, found 268.0195.
Ethyl 4-bromo-2-phenylpyridine-3-carboxylate (5l). Reaction of 1a (500 mg, 2.143 mmol) with Vilsmeier reagent prepared
from POBr3 (1.84 g, 6.418 mmol) and DMF (0.55 mL, 7.133 mmol) as described in the typical procedure afforded 525 mg (80%)
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of 5l as a colorless oil. Rf = 0.6 (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 2981, 1732, 1538, 1253, 1125, 758; H NMR (300
MHz, CDCl3)  1.12 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 3H), 4.22 (q, J = 6.9 Hz, 2H), 7.377.45 (m, 3H), 7.54 (d, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H), 7.567.65 (m, 2H),
8.51 (d, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 13.8, 62.4, 126.3, 128.6 (2C), 128.7 (2C), 129.6, 131.6, 131.7, 138.4, 149.9,
157.7, 166.6; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C14H12BrNO2 306.0124, found 306.0118.
Ethyl 4-bromo-2-(4-fluorophenyl)pyridine-3-carboxylate (5m). Reaction of 1f (1.0 g, 3.980 mmol) with Vilsmeier reagent
prepared from POBr3 (3.42 g, 11.929 mmol) and DMF (1.0 mL, 12.970 mmol) as described in the typical procedure afforded 981
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mg (76%) of 5m as a colorless oil. Rf = 0.6 (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 3019, 1730, 1215, 758; H NMR (300
MHz, CDCl3)  1.17 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H), 4.25 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.13 (t, J = 9.0 Hz, 2H), 7.54 (d, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H), 7.567.63 (m,
2H), 8.50 (d, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 13.9, 62.4, 115.6 (d, J = 29.0 Hz, 2C), 126.2, 130.4 (d, J = 11.4 Hz, 2C),
130.7, 131.6, 134.1, 149.6, 156.2, 163.6 (d, J = 331.2 Hz), 166.3; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C14H11BrFNO2 324.0030,
found 324.0023.
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Ethyl 4-bromo-2-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]pyridine-3-carboxylate (5n). Reaction of 1g (1.0 g, 3.319 mmol) with Vilsmeier
reagent prepared from POBr3 (2.85 g, 9.958 mmol) and DMF (0.85 mL, 11.024 mmol) as described in the typical procedure afford-
ed 907 mg (73%) of 5n as a yellow oil. Rf = 0.7 (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 3021, 2987, 1732, 1543, 1333, 1133,
758; 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  1.17 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H), 4.25 (q, J = 7.5 Hz, 2H), 7.557.65 (m, 2H), 7.71 (d, J = 7.8 Hz, 1H),
7.83 (d, J = 7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.91 (s, 1H), 8.54 (d, J = 5.4 Hz, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 13.6, 62.4, 123.6 (q, J = 274.3 Hz),
125.2, 125.3, 126.6 (2C), 129.0 (2C), 130.7 (q, J = 32.8 Hz), 131.2, 139.3, 150.2, 156.0, 166.3; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd
for C15H11BrF3NO2 373.9994, found 373.9998.
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Synthesis of 2,5-Disubstituted Pyridones 4ag and Pyridines 5op and 5su
The 2,5-disubtituted pyridine esters 5op and 5su were prepared by Vilsmeier reaction of the corresponding enamino keto es-
ters by following the typical procedure for the synthesis of pyridine ester 5a. In all these cases, the corresponding pyridone esters
were also formed as co-product.
Ethyl 4-chloro-5-methyl-2-phenylpyridine-3-carboxylate (5o) and Ethyl 5-methyl-4-oxo-2-phenyl-1,4-dihydropyridine-3-
carboxylate (4a). Reaction of 1l (1.0 g, 4.043 mmol) with Vilsmeier reagent prepared from POCl3 (1.2 mL, 12.874 mmol) and
DMF (1.0 mL, 12.970 mmol) as described in the typical procedure for 5a followed by chromatographic purification (eluent, 1.5%
acetone in petroleum ether) afforded 424 mg (38%) of 5o as a white solid. Mp 8083 °C; Rf = 0.7 (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9);
IR (KBr) cm-1 2975, 1723, 1532, 1435, 1228, 1137, 1025, 834; 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  1.12 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H), 2.44 (s, 3H),
4.23 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.387.45 (m, 3H), 7.567.63 (m, 2H), 8.55 (s, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 13.8, 17.0, 62.2, 128.4
(2C), 128.6 (2C), 129.1, 129.3, 130.8, 138.6, 141.9, 150.9, 155.4, 166.4; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C15H14ClNO2
276.0785, found 276.0788. Further elution of the column with same solvent system gave 229 mg of 4a (22%) as a colorless oil. Rf
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= 0.5 (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 3019, 2918, 1701, 1678, 1276, 1185, 758; H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  1.39
(t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H), 1.73 (s, 3H), 4.31 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.407.49 (m, 5H), 8.15 (d, J = 10.2 Hz, 1H), 11.42 (br s, 1H); 13C NMR
(75 MHz, CDCl3) 4.5, 14.4, 61.8, 73.7, 90.1, 128.8 (2C), 129.2 (2C), 130.2 (2C), 132.6, 155.8, 162.6, 168.0; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M
+ H]+ calcd for C15H15NO3 258.1119, found 258.1124.
Ethyl 4-chloro-5-ethyl-2-phenylpyridine-3-carboxylate (5p) and Ethyl 5-ethyl-4-oxo-2-phenyl-1,4-dihydropyridine-3-
carboxylate (4b). Reaction of 1m (1.0 g, 3.826 mmol) with Vilsmeier reagent prepared from POCl3 (1.1 mL, 11.801 mmol) and
DMF (1.0 mL, 12.970 mmol) as described in the typical procedure yielded a mixture of 5p and 4b. Flash silica gel chromatography
(eluent, 1.5% acetone in petroleum ether) afforded 365 mg (32%) of 5p as a white solid. Mp 3740 °C; Rf = 0.7 (ace-
tone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 2975, 1734, 1530, 1436, 1227, 1125, 1019; 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  1.12 (t, J = 7.2
Hz, 3H), 1.29 (t, J = 7.5 Hz, 3H), 2.85 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 4.23 (q, J = 7.5 Hz, 2H), 7.387.45 (m, 3H), 7.557.65 (m, 2H), 8.55 (s,
1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 13.9, 24.3, 29.9, 62.3, 128.5 (2C), 128.6 (2C), 129.3, 129.4, 136.0, 138.6, 141.4, 150.2, 155.3,
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166.4; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C16H16ClNO2 290.0942, found 290.0945. Further elution of column with same solvent
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system gave 270 mg (26%) of 4b as a pale yellow semi-solid. Rf = 0.5 (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 3227, 2975,
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1696, 1673, 1590, 1372, 1188, 789, 728; H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  0.85 (t, J = 7.8 Hz, 3H), 1.36 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 3H), 2.10 (q, J
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= 7.8 Hz, 2H), 4.30 (q, J = 6.9 Hz, 2H), 7.387.48 (m, 5H), 8.16 (d, J = 10.2 Hz, 1H), 11.45 (br s, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3)
13.3, 13.5, 14.3, 61.7, 74.2, 96.0, 128.9 (2C), 129.2 (2C), 130.1 (2C), 132.7, 155.8, 162.5, 167.9; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd
for C16H17NO3 272.1281, found 272.1276.
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Ethyl 4-oxo-2-phenyl-5-(propan-2-yl)-1,4-dihydropyridine-3-carboxylate (4c). Reaction of 1n (1.0 g, 3.631 mmol) with
Vilsmeier reagent prepared from POCl3 (1.1 mL, 11.801 mmol) and DMF (1.0 mL, 12.970 mmol) as described in the typical proce-
dure followed by flash silica gel chromatography (eluent, 5% EtOAc in petroleum ether) afforded 653 mg (63%) of 4c as a pale
yellow solid. Mp 6061 °C; Rf = 0.6 (acetone/petroleum ether, 2:8); IR (KBr) cm-1 3019, 2972, 1701, 1677, 1589, 1215, 1022, 758;
1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  0.90 (d, J = 6.9 Hz, 6H), 1.36 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H), 2.382.49 (m, 1H), 4.29 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H),
7.387.48 (m, 5H), 8.18 (d, J = 9.9 Hz, 1H), 11.42 (br s, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 14.0, 21.1, 22.4 (2C), 61.4, 73.9, 99.9,
128.6 (2C), 129.0 (2C), 129.8 (2C), 132.6, 155.5, 162.3, 167.6; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C17H19NO3 286.1431, found
286.1437.
Ethyl 5-tert-butyl-4-oxo-2-phenyl-1,4-dihydropyridine-3-carboxylate (4d). Reaction of 1o (1.0 g, 3.455 mmol) with Vilsmeier
reagent prepared from POCl3 (1.0, 3.455 mmol) and DMF (0.9 mL, 11.636 mmol) as described in the typical procedure followed by
flash silica gel chromatography (5% EtOAc in petroleum ether) afforded 465 mg (45%) of 4d as an off-white solid. Mp 5253 °C;
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Rf = 0.7 (acetone/petroleum ether, 2:8); IR (neat) cm-1 3223, 2968, 1708, 1677, 1365, 1287, 1022; H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3) 
0.97 (s, 9H), 1.35 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H), 4.27 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.357.49 (m, 5H), 8.18 (d, J = 10.2 Hz, 1H), 11.43 (br s, 1H); 13C
NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 14.0, 27.8, 30.4 (3C), 61.3, 73.3, 102.6, 128.6 (2C), 129.0 (2C), 129.5, 129.8, 132.6, 155.3, 162.3, 167.6;
HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C18H21NO3 300.1594, found 300.1587.
Ethyl 4-chloro-5-(2-methylpropyl)-2-phenylpyridine-3-carboxylate (5s) and Ethyl 5-(2-methylpropyl)-4-oxo-2-phenyl-1,4-
dihydropyridine-3-carboxylate (4e). Reaction of 1p (1.0 g, 3.455 mmol) with Vilsmeier reagent prepared from POCl3 (1.0, 3.455
mmol) and DMF (0.9 mL, 11.636 mmol) as described in the typical procedure afforded a mixture of 5s and 4e. Flash silica gel
chromatography (3% acetone in petroleum ether) afforded 132 mg (12%) of 5s as a yellow oil. Rf = 0.6 (acetone/petroleum ether,
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1:9); IR (neat) cm-1 2958, 2869, 1734, 1528, 1438, 1226, 1123, 697; H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3) 
0.99 (d, J = 6.3 Hz, 6H), 1.12 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H), 1.992.18 (m, 1H), 2.68 (d, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 4.22 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.407.56
(m, 3H), 7.597.63 (m, 2H), 8.48 (s, 1H); 13C NMR (100 MHz, DMSO-d6) 13.9, 22.5 (2C), 28.5, 38.9, 62.4, 128.4 (2C), 128.9
(2C), 129.7, 130.4, 133.6, 137.7, 138.5, 152.5, 154.6, 166.1; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C18H20ClNO2 318.1255, found
318.1248. Further elution of the column with same solvent system gave 517 mg (50%) of 4e as a colorless oil. Rf = 0.5 (ace-
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tone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 3019, 1701, 1677, 1215, 759; H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  0.73 (d, J = 6.9 Hz, 6H),
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1.36 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H), 1.491.62 (m, 1H), 2.00 (d, J = 6.9 Hz, 2H), 4.30 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.377.50 (m, 5H), 8.13 (d, J = 10.2
Hz, 1H), 11.43 (br s, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 14.3, 21.9 (2C), 28.1, 28.8, 61.7, 75.5, 93.8, 129.0 (2C), 129.3 (2C),
130.1(2C), 132.8, 155.5, 162.6, 168.0; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C18H21NO3 300.1594, found 300.1589.
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Ethyl 4-chloro-2,5-diphenylpyridine-3-carboxylate (5t) and Ethyl 4-oxo-2,5-diphenyl-1,4-dihydropyridine-3-carboxylate
(4f). Reaction of 1q (500 mg, 1.616 mmol) with Vilsmeier reagent prepared from POCl3 (0.5 mL, 5.364 mmol) and DMF (0.4 mL,
5.188 mmol) a as described in the typical procedure yielded a mixture of 5t and 4f. Flash silica gel column chromatography (eluent,
8% acetone in petroleum ether) afforded 224 mg (41%) of 5t as a white solid. Mp 120122 °C; Rf = 0.6 (acetone/petroleum ether,
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1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 2990, 2940, 1727, 1519, 1434, 1234, 1142, 695; H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  1.13 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H), 4.26
(q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.437.51 (m, 8H), 7.657.72 (m, 2H), 8.65 (s, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 13.9, 62.4, 128.5 (2C), 128.7
(2C), 128.8 (2C), 128.9 (2C), 129.5, 129.7 (2C), 135.0, 135.1, 138.7, 140.0, 151.1, 156.4, 166.4; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd
for C20H16ClNO2 338.0942, found 338.0945. Further elution of the column with same solvent system afforded 119 mg (23%) of 4f
as a pale yellow viscous liquid. Rf = 0.5 (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 3019, 2926, 1702, 1679, 1585, 1571, 1374,
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1296, 1196, 755; H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3)  1.40 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 3H), 4.35 (q, J = 6.9 Hz, 2H), 7.007.10 (m, 2H), 7.157.25
(m, 3H), 7.457.56 (m, 5H), 8.25 (d, J = 10.2 Hz, 1H), 11.51 (br s, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 14.3, 61.8, 84.5, 93.7, 123.5,
128.0, 128.3, 128.9 (3C), 129.4 (3C), 130.5, 130.9 (2C), 132.4, 156.5, 162.4, 167.5; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for
C20H17NO3 320.1281, found 320.1275.
Ethyl 4-chloro-5-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-phenylpyridine-3-carboxylate (5u) and Ethyl 5-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4-oxo-2-phenyl-
1,4-dihydropyridine-3-carboxylate (4g). Reaction of 1r (1.0 g, 2.948 mmol) with Vilsmeier reagent prepared from POCl3 (0.8
mL, 8.582 mmol) and DMF (0.8 mL, 10.376 mmol) as described in the typical procedure yielded a mixture of 5u and 4g. Flash
silica gel column chromatography (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9) of the mixture afforded 466 mg (43%) of 5u as a white crystalline
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solid. Mp 128130 °C; Rf = 0.7 (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 3010, 2972, 1724, 1519, 1435, 1238, 833; H NMR
(300 MHz, CDCl3)  1.13 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 3H), 3.88 (s, 3H), 4.25 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.03 (d, J = 9.0 Hz, 2H), 7.387.51 (m, 5H),
7.627.70 (m, 2H), 8.64 (s, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 13.6, 55.3, 62.2, 114.0 (2C), 126.9, 128.3, 128.5 (2C), 129.3 (2C),
129.5, 130.8 (2C), 134.5, 138.2, 140.0, 150.7, 155.6, 160.0, 166.1; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C21H18ClNO3 368.1048,
found 368.1051. Further elution of the column with same solvent system gave 268 mg (26%) of 4g as a yellow solid. Mp 115118
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°C; Rf = 0.6 (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 3185, 1697, 1668, 1508, 1286, 1212, 1025, 737; H NMR (300 MHz,
CDCl3)  1.40 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 3H), 3.76 (s, 3H), 4.34 (q, J = 6.9 Hz, 2H), 6.73 (d, J = 8.7 Hz, 2H), 6.98 (d, J = 8.7 Hz, 2H),
7.507.55 (m, 5H), 8.25 (d, J = 10.2 Hz, 1H), 11.51 (d, J = 10.2 Hz, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 14.3, 55.4, 61.8, 83.1, 93.7,
114.0 (2C), 115.7, 128.9 (2C), 129.5 (2C), 130.3, 132.4 (3C), 132.6, 155.7, 159.5, 162.5, 167.6; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd
for C21H19NO4 350.1386, found 350.1391.
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The Journal of Organic Chemistry
Conversion of Pyridone Esters to Pyridine Esters
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Typical Procedure for the Preparation of Ethyl 4-chloro-5-isopropyl-2-phenylnicotinate (5q). Excess phosphorus ox-
ychloride (1 mL) was added in one portion to pyridone ester 4c (150 mg, 0.493 mmol) and the mixture was heated at 100 °C for 1
h. The resultant light brown solution was added drop-wise to a vigorously stirred ice-cold solution of sodium bicarbonate. The mix-
ture was extracted with ethyl acetate (3 x 50 mL) and the combined organic extracts were washed with water (2 x 100 mL). The
organic solution was dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated in vacuum. The residue obtained was purified by flash
silica gel column chromatography using 5% acetone in petroleum ether to yield to yield 65 mg (69%) of 5q as an off-white solid.
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Mp 5859 °C; Rf = 0.6 (acetone/petroleum ether, 1:9); IR (KBr) cm-1 2976, 2963, 1724, 1530, 1438, 1235, 1119, 701; H NMR
(300 MHz, CDCl3)  1.11 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H), 1.36 (d, J = 7.2 Hz, 6H), 3.40 3.49 (m, 1H), 4.23 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.407.44 (m,
3H), 7.577.61 (m, 2H), 8.61 (s, 1H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3) 13.6, 22.2 (2C), 28.8, 62.1, 128.3 (2C), 128.4 (2C), 129.1 (2C),
138.4, 139.4 140.7, 148.2, 154.8, 166.3; HRMS (ESI): m/z [M + H]+ calcd for C17H18ClNO2 304.1095, found 304.1098.
Ethyl 4-chloro-2,5-diphenylpyridine-3-carboxylate (5t). Reaction of pyridone 4f (50 mg, 0.156 mmol) with excess POCl3 (0.5
mL) as described in the case of 5q gave 38 mg (72%) of pyridine 5t as a white solid. The 1H NMR spectrum of 5s prepared by this
method was in complete agreement with the spectrum of 5t prepared directly from enamino keto esters 1q.
Ethyl 4-chloro-5-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-phenylpyridine-3-carboxylate (5u). Reaction of pyridone 4g (50 mg, 0.143 mmol)
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with excess POCl3 (0.5 mL) as described in the case of 5q gave 40 mg (76%) of pyridine 5u as a white solid. The H NMR spec-
trum of 5u prepared by this method was in complete agreement with the spectrum of 5u prepared directly from enamino keto esters
1r.
ASSOCIATED CONTENT
Supporting Information
1H and 13C nmr spectra for all new compounds are included in the supporting information. This material is available free of charge via the
Internet at http://pubs.acs.org.
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author
* E-mail: thomas.abraham@glenmarkpharma.com
Author Contributions
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The manuscript was written through contributions of all authors.
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The authors declare no competing financial interest.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We thank Professor S. H. Mashraqui for his valuable inputs and insightful suggestions. We are also grateful to Mr. Rambabu Pat-
tem for the HRMS analysis of the samples.
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