Pyrrole as a Directing Group: Regioselective Pd(II)-Catalyzed Alkylation and Benzylation at the Benzene Core of 2-Phenylpyrroles

Abstract

Pyrrole has been employed for the first time as a directing group in the Pd(II)-catalyzed ortho-functionalization of C(sp(2))-H bonds. A variety of substituted 2-phenylpyrroles were successfully methylated, alkylated, or benzylated in the ortho-position of the benzene ring, yielding the respective 2-substituted pyrrol-2-yl benzenes (36 examples, 51-93% yield). Neither additives nor additional ligands were required to perform the reaction, which was routinely conducted with PdBr2 as the catalyst and Li2CO3 as the base. Mechanistically, there is evidence that precoordination of palladium to the pyrrole enables the regioselective ortho-attack.