Reaction of dicyanomethylides with 3-(3′,3′-dimethyltriazene-1-yl)- pyridine-4-carboxylic acid. Unexpected preferential formation of pyrido[4,3-a]indolizines
Contrary to theoretical predictions on the basis of a discrete hetaryneintermediate (frontier orbitals, total atomic charges on C-3 and C-4, and activation energies for the concerted process) from the MO calculations, reactions of dicyanomethylides with 3-(3′,3′-dimethyltriazene-1-yl)pyridine-4-carboxylic acid, a formal precursor of 3,4-didehydropyridine, afforded exclusively the pyrido[4,3-a]indolizines
Cyclooctyne smoothly underwent 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with pyridinium dicyanomethylides to afford the corresponding indolizines (8-cyario-7-azatricyclo[7.6.0.02,7]pentadeca-1,3,5,8-tetraenes) in excellent yields.