Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun. 1996, 61, 126-138
https://doi.org/10.1135/cccc19960126

Sterically Crowded Heterocycles. III. A General Approach to Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines by Ferricyanide Oxidation of Quaternary Pyridinium Salts

Richard Kubík, Stanislav Böhm, Iveta Ruppertová and Josef Kuthan

Department of Organic Chemistry, Prague Institute of Chemical Technology, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic

Abstract

Substituted 1-(pyridin-2-yl)-2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium perchlorates 1b-1e were converted with potassium ferricyanide and potassium hydroxide to sterically crowded 2-phenyl-3-[(Z)-1,3-diphenyl-3-oxopropenyl]imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines 2b-2e accompanied by minor isomeric 2-benzoyl-3,5-diphenyl-1-(pyridin-2-yl)pyrroles 3c-3e. 4-Phenyl-2,6-di(4-substituted phenyl)-1-(pyridin-2-yl)pyridinium salts 4a, 4b gave exclusively corresponding imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines 5a, 5b while the ferricyanide oxidation of 1-(5-iodo- and 5-cyanopyridin-2-yl)-2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium perchlorates 6a, 6b led to mixtures of major imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines 7a-7c and minor pyrroles 8a-8c. Some mechanistic aspects of the oxidation procedure are discussed in connection with a resistance of 2,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-trimethylpyridinium perchlorate (9c) towards the oxidizing agents.

Keywords: Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines; Ferricyanide oxidation.