Synthesis of zwitterionic salts via three component reactions of nitrogen-containing heterocycles, acetylenedicarboxylate and cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds

A practical synthetic procedure for the preparation of the charge-separated pyridinium–Meldrum acid zwitterionic salts was developed through a unique one-pot three component reaction of pyridine, acetylenedicarboxylate and Meldrum acid. Other nitrogen-containing heterocycles such as N-methylimidazole, 2-picoline, quinoline, isoquinoline and other cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds such as 1,3-cyclopentanedione, 1,3-cyclohexanedione, barbituric acid also took part in the reaction to give corresponding zwitterionic salts in moderate yields, respectively. In one case an unusual isoquinolinium 1,3-cyclopentanedionate was obtained. A feasible explanation is given for this novel one-pot tandem reaction and the formation of different kinds of products.