A new methodology for the preparation of 2-cyanopyrroles and synthesis of porphobilinogen

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0040-4020(96)00941-6

Condensation of α-acetoxynitro compounds 4a-f with isocyanoacetonitrile (5) using DBU in THF afforded 2-cyano-3,4-substituted pyrroles 6a-f, in good yield. Porphobilinogen (PBG, 12), the key building block for the preparation of tetrapyrrolic natural products, was synthesized from 2-cyano-3,4-substituted pyrrole 6f, in four steps.