Three-Component Reaction of 3,3-Difluorocyclopropenes, -Tetrazines, and (benzo) Pyridines.

A new three-component reaction leading to 1-α-(pyridyl-2-[1,2,4]triazolyl)-2-alkyl-ethanones has been discovered while studying the reactivity of monosubstituted 3,3-difluorocyclopropenes in an inverse electronic demand Diels-Alder (IEDDA) cycloaddition-cycloreversion sequence with -tetrazines. The reaction involving the above-mentioned reactants and (benzo)pyridine as a third component results in a complex transformation proceeding in mild conditions in a stoichiometric ratio of reactants and has high functional group tolerance (phenols, amides, ethers, carboxylic acids, ketones, and acrylic esters). As a result, simple pyridines are selectively functionalized at the α-position in good isolated yields. The reaction mechanism includes a rare azaphilic [4 + 2]-cycloaddition step between -tetrazine and intermediate 1-hydroxyindolizine, suggested after byproduct identification and tracked with a deuterium label. To date, it is only the third known example of skewed azaphilic cycloaddition of tetrazine. The reaction is truly three-component and cannot be effectively performed stepwise.