Synthesis of unsymmetrical 3,4-diaryl-3-pyrrolin-2-ones utilizing pyrrole Weinreb amides.

A regiocontrolled synthesis of unsymmetrical 3,4-diaryl-3-pyrrolin-2-ones has been achieved in three steps from 1,2-diaryl-1-nitroethenes with pyrrole-2-carboxamides (pyrrole Weinreb amides) serving as the key linchpin intermediates. Two different methods for the preparation of the requisite nitroalkenes were investigated: (1) modified Henry reaction between arylnitromethanes and arylimines; and (2) Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction of 2-aryl-1-bromo-1-nitroethenes with arylboronic acids. Some difficulty was encountered in the preparation of arylnitromethanes, thus leading to the exploration of a cross-coupling strategy that proved more useful.