Nitration of Pyrrolo[2,1‐a]isoquinolines with NaNO2/HFIP

Abstract

AbstractA mild nitration of pyrrolo[2,1‐a]isoquinolines has been reached using sodium nitrite as nitro source in HFIP at ambient temperature. A variety of nitro‐bearing pyrrolo[2,1‐a]isoquinoline derivatives has been efficiently prepared in poor to quantitative yields (28–98 %). These products can be easily transformed to primary amines and amide by simple chemical reactions. Treatment of other nitrogen‐containing heterocycles such as pyrrolo[1,2‐a]quinoline and substituted indoles under this developed reaction system afforded nitro‐bearing N‐heterocycles in relatively lower yields (15–19 %).