A Novel Synthesis of Highly Functionalized Pyridines by a One-Pot, Three-Component Tandem Reaction of Aldehydes, Malononitrile and N-Alkyl-2-cyanoacetamides under Microwave Irradiation

A convenient, fast and environmentally benign procedure for the synthesis of a new series of highly functionalized N-alkylated pyridines as privileged medicinal scaffolds was developed via a unique three-component reaction of easily available aromatic as well as heteroaromatic aldehydes, N-alkyl-2-cyanoacetamides and malononitrile in EtOH in the presence of K2CO3 as a base promoter under microwave irradiation. The presented tandem process is presumed to proceed via Knoevenagel condensation, Michael addition, intramolecular cyclization, autoxidation and subsequent aromatization. Particularly valuable features of this protocol, including high product yields, mild conditions, atom-efficiency, simple execution, short reaction times and easy purification make it a highly efficient and promising synthetic strategy to prepare substituted pyridine nuclei. The proposed mechanism of this novel one-pot reaction and structure elucidation of the products are discussed.