Nucleophilic addition of sulfonamides to bromoacetylenes: facile preparation of pyrroles.

Nucleophilic addition of sulfonamides to 1-bromo-1-alkynes provided (Z)-N-(1-bromo-1-alken-2-yl)-p-toluenesulfonamides in good yield and in a highly regio- and stereoselective manner. Treatment of product (Z)-N-(1-bromo-1-octen-2-yl)-N-allyl-p-toluenesulfonamide with a palladium catalyst under Heck conditions afforded 1-(p-toluenesulfonyl)-2-hexyl-4-methylpyrrole in good yield. Other pyrroles with various substituents can also be prepared in good yield by this method.