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