Synthesis of tetra-substituted pyrroles, a potential phosphodiesterase 4B inhibitor, through nickel(II) chloride hexahydrate catalyzed one-pot four-component reaction

A wide variety of tetra-substituted pyrrole derivatives were synthesized through one-pot four-component condensation reaction of aromatic aldehydes, benzylamines, β-ketoesters, and nitroalkanes in the presence of 10 mol % NiCl2·6H2O in good yields. Some of them exhibit properties as potential inhibitors of phosphodiesterase 4B (PDE4B) through docking studies.