D’Silva
3
and in negative ion ESMS peaks at 437 for (2M++Cl) and
236 (M++Cl). Definitive confirmation of the structure of
compound 10 was finally achieved by its conversion to the
pinacol ester 5 (69%) in high yield.
J=8.1); 13 C NMR (67.8MHz, CDCl3): δ 25.1, 85.5, 129.4,
131.7, 135.0; LRMS (CIMS (NH3)) m/z (%): 266 ((M+
NH4)+, 77), 162 (22), 144 (27), 136 (100), 126 (16); calcd for
C13H17O4 B: C, 62.87; H, 6.91; found: C, 63.06; H, 7.15.
In conclusion, a variety of methods have been investi-
gated to synthesise 1-(4-boronobenzyl)-1H-pyrrole (10). It
is clear based on the results reported here that the introduc-
tion of the boronate group, late in the reaction, is the most
effective method for the preparation of this compound
(Scheme 4) due to the lack of an adequate method for the
removal of the pinacol protecting group from 5 (Schemes 2
and 3). Review of the literature identified that the carbazole
analogue of 10, 4-((9H-carbazol-9-yl)methyl)phenylbo-
ronic acid44 had been prepared from the corresponding car-
bazole analogue of 9, 9-(4-bromobenzyl)-9H-carbazole
using a similar procedure to Scheme 4, but n-butyllithium(n-
BuLi) replaced t-butyllithium(t-BuLi).
4-(4,4,5,5-Tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-
yl)benzoyl chloride (3)
A mixture of 4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-
2-yl)benzoic acid (2) (2g; 8.1mmol), triphenylphosphine
(2.1g; 8.1mmol), in CCl4 (50mL) were refluxed for 20h,
then cooled, filtered and evaporated to give crude
4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-yl)benzoyl
chloride as an oil: Yield 2.24g.
4-(4,4,5,5-Tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-
yl)phenyl)(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)methanone (4)
Prepared by the DMAP (0.099g; 0.81mmol) catalysed con-
densation of crude 4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxab-
orolan-2-yl)benzoyl chloride (3) (2.24g; 8.4mmol) with
pyrrole (0.62g; 9.26mmol) in the presence of triethylamine
(TEA) (1.3mL; 9.1mmol)/CH2Cl2 (6mL) overnight,
according to the general procedure described by D’Silva
and Iqbal.31 After work up, the crude product was purified
by PTLC (CHCl3 /pet ether (40–60); 1:1) to give a colour-
less solid. Yield 0.59g (24%); m.p. 99°C–102°C; 1H NMR
(270MHz, CDCl3): δ 1.5 (s, 12H), 6.45 (t, 2H, J=2.5), 7.35
(t, 2H, J=2.5), 7.8 (d, 2H, J=8.8), 8.05 (d, 2H, J=8.8); 13
C NMR (67.8MHz, CDCl3) δ 24.89, 29.69, 113.1, 121.2,
128.4, 134.7; LRMS (CIMS (NH3)) m/z (%): 315 ((M+
NH4)+, 37), 298 ((M+H+), 43), 279 (10), 247 (18), 231
(18), 198 (10), 189 (86), 172 (100), 158 (18), 152 (15), 144
(94), 136 (21), 128 (24); calcd for C17H20 NO3 B: C, 68.65;
H, 6.78, N, 4.71; found: C, 68.73; H, 6.88; N, 4.67.
Experimental section
Trimethylborate, tert-butyllithium (1.7M in pentane), n-butyl-
lithium (1.6M in hexane), pinacol, DMAP, 4-bromoben-
zylamine.HCl, pyrrole, pyridine, DMSO, THF (Aldrich),
4-Carboxybenzeneboronic acid (Lancaster). Commercial rea-
gents were used as received with the exception of pyrrole,
pyridine and THF, which were redistilled the latter from
sodium and benzophenone under nitrogen. Reactions on
exclusion of air or water were performed in oven-dried glass-
ware and under an argon or N2 atmosphere. Analytical thin-
layer chromatography was performed on Merck silica gel
60F254 aluminium backed thin-layer chromatography (TLC)
plates and was visualised by fluorescence quenching under
UV light or I2 staining. Preparative thin-layer chromatogra-
phy (PTLC) was performed on Analtech silica gel GF
2000μm and was visualised by fluorescence quenching under
UV light. Melting points were determined on an electrother-
mal apparatus and were reported uncorrected. 1H and 13C-
NMR spectra were recorded at 270.05 and 67.80MHz,
respectively, on a Joel 270 MHz FT-NMR spectrometer using
TMS as an internal standard. Mass spectra were recorded by
B. Stein at the EPSRC Mass Spectrometry Service Centre,
Swansea for EI and CI (NH3) spectra, on a VG quarto II triple
quadropole mass spectrometer and accurate mass liquid sec-
ondary ion mass spectrometry (LSIMS) measurements on a
Finnigan MAT 900 XLT using a Cs+ ions to ionise. Elemental
analysis was performed at the Micro Analytical Service,
Manchester Univ, UK. Distance calculations in optimised
structures were undertaken using the Alchemy 2000 (Tripos)
molecular modelling package.
4-(4,4,5,5-Tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-
yl)benzyl)-1H-pyrrole (5: Scheme 2)
4-(4,4,5,5-Tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-yl)phenyl)
(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)methanone(4) (0.5g; 1.7mmol) was reduced
to (5a) in THF (3mL) using NaBH4 (0.3g) in the presence of
BF3: OEt2 (2.3g; 16.3mmol) in a sealed pressure tube.31 The
crude product was obtained as an oil which was purified by
PTLC (EtOAc/CHCl3 /pet ether (40–60); 1:4:5) to give a col-
ourless crystalline solid. Yield 0.11g (24%); m.p. 123°C–
125°C; 1H NMR (270MHz, CDCl3): δ 1.3 (s, 12H), 5.1 (s,
2H), 6.2 (t, 2H, J=2.1), 6.7 (t, 2H, J=2.1), 7.1 (d, 2H,
J=7.8), 7.8 (d, 2H, J=7.8); 13 C NMR (67.8MHz, CDCl3):
δ 24.6, 53.2, 83.6, 108.3, 121.0, 126.1, 135.0, 141.0; LRMS
(EIMS) m/z (%) 283 ((M+) 38), 217 (100), 182 (10), 135
(11), 117 (55), 91 (10); HRMS (EIMS) calcd for C17H22 NO2
B 283.1744, found: 283.1744; calcd for C17H22 NO2 B: C,
72.04; H, 7.83, N, 4.95; found: C, 72.14; H, 8.02; N, 5.04.
4-(4,4,5,5-Tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-
yl)benzoic acid (2)
Amixtureof4-carboxybenzeneboronicacid(0.5g;3.0mmol)
and 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-butanediol (0.36g; 3.0mmol) was sus-
pended in toluene (100mL) and refluxed in a Dean–Stark
apparatus until the theoretical amount of water was removed.
The solution was then evaporated to yield on recrystallisati-
ion from CH3CN a colourless solid. Yield 0.78g (98%); m.p.
230°C–232°C (lit.45 228°C–231°C); 1H NMR (270MHz,
CDCl3): δ 1.5 (s, 12H), 7.9 (d, 2H, J=8.1), 8.15 (d, 2H,
4-(4,4,5,5-Tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-
yl)benzyl)-1H-pyrrole (5: Scheme 3)
To a stirred solution of pyrrole (0.4g; 5.93mmol) dissolved
in dry THF (3mL), under nitrogen at 0°C was added
n-BuLi (3.37mL; 5.39mmol) and the solution stirred for