Zincke reaction

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Zincke reaction
Named after Theodor Zincke
Reaction type Coupling reaction

The Zincke reaction is an organic reaction, named after Theodor Zincke, in which a pyridine is transformed into a pyridinium salt by reaction with 2,4-dinitro-chlorobenzene and a primary amine.[1][2][3][4]

The Zincke reaction
The Zincke reaction

The Zincke reaction should not be confused with the Zincke-Suhl reaction or the Zincke nitration. Furthermore, the Zincke reaction has nothing to do with the chemical element zinc.

The first reaction is the formation of the N-2,4-dinitrophenyl-pyridinium salt (2). This salt is typically isolated and purified by recrystallization.

The formation of the DNP-pyridinium salt
The formation of the DNP-pyridinium salt

Upon heating a primary amine with the N-2,4-dinitrophenyl-pyridinium salt (2), the addition of the amine leads to the opening of the pyridinium ring. A second addition of amine leads to the displacement of 2,4-dinitroaniline (5) and formation of the König salt[5] (6a and 6b). The trans-cis-trans isomer of the König salt (6a) can react by either sigmatropic rearrangement or nucleophilic addition of a zwitterionic intermediate to give cyclized intermediate (7).[6] This has been suggested to be the rate-determining step.[7][8] After proton transfer and amine elimination, the desired pyridinium ion (9) is formed.

The mechanism of the Zincke reaction
The mechanism of the Zincke reaction

This mechanism can be referred to as an instance of the ANRORC mechanism: nucleophilic addition (AN), ring opening and ring closing.

Applications

In one solid-phase synthesis application, the amine is covalently attached to Wang resin.[9]

The Zincke reaction
The Zincke reaction

Another example is the synthesis of a chiral isoquinolinium salt.[10]

The Zincke reaction
The Zincke reaction

Zincke aldehydes

2007 rediscovery

References

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