Rapid, efficient, room temperature aromatization of Hantzsch-1,4-dihydropyridines with vanadium(V) salts: superiority of classical technique versus microwave promoted reaction

The aromatization of 1,4-dihydropyridines (1,4-DHPs) employing group 4 (Zr and Hf) and 5 (V, Nb, Ta) elements of periodic system has been studied. The reaction with VOCl3 in dichloromethane at room temperature afforded products, substituted pyridines, in high-to-excellent yield. For the first time, the formation of charge-transfer complexes (CTCs) has been evidenced in preorganization step between 1,4-DHP and oxidant before electron transfer. The CTC has been formed only in neutral solvents such as dichloromethane and is characterized by intensive coloration. The aromatization of 1,4-DHP with V2O5 in refluxing acetic acid has found to be superior over microwave promoted reaction in solventless media. The only reasonable explanation was found in polymeric structure of V2O5, which slowly transfer energy of microwaves needed for the activation of the reactants. The solvent polarity dependent oxidative dealkylation of 4-n-propyl-1,4-DHP has been discovered. Unexpectedly, the reaction in acetic acid afforded only 33% of dealkylated product compared to 91% obtained in dichloromethane under the same reaction conditions.