Efficient syntheses of ethyl 4-cyano-5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1H-pyrrole-3-carboxylate and ethyl (2Z)-(4-cyano-5-oxopyrrolidin-2-ylidene)ethanoate

Ethyl 2-chloroacetoacetate and its 4-chloro isomer react with cyanoacetamide in the presence of the mild, nonnucleophilic base, triethylamine under stoichiometric conditions to give high yields of ethyl 4-cyano-2-hydroxy-2-methyl-5-oxopyrrolidine-3-carboxylate and ethyl (4-cyano-2-hydroxy-5-oxopyrrolidin-2-yl)acetate, respectively. These, under acid-catalyzed dehydration conditions, afforded ethyl 4-cyano-5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1H-pyrrole-3-carboxylate and ethyl (2Z)-(4-cyano-5-oxopyrrolidin-2-ylidene)ethanoate, respectively. Similarly, the 4-chloro isomer reacted with ethyl cyanoacetate to give the novel product, diethyl 2-cyano-4-oxohexanedioate. The use of triethylamine enables access to a whole new library of pyrrole derivatives from easily accessible, commercially available starting materials. The reactions described in this Letter enable access to libraries of important pyrrole systems in any of the isotopically enriched forms.