Acylation of five-membered N-heteroaromatic compounds by ruthenium carbonyl-catalyzed direct carbonylation at a C-H bond

The ruthenium-catalyzed carbonylation at the C-H bond of five-membered N-heteroaromatic compounds is described. The reaction of imidazoles with CO and olefins in toluene in the presence of a catalytic amount of Ru₃(CO)₁₂ results in carbonylation of the C-H bond at the 4-position (adjacent to the sp²-nitrogen) of the imidazole ring to give acylated imidazoles in good to high yields. A wide range of olefins can be utilized in the carbonylation reaction, and a variety of functional groups are compatible under the reaction conditions. Other five-membered N-heteroaromatic compounds, such as pyrazoles, oxazoles, and thiazoles, can also be used for the carbonylation reaction, and in all cases, carbonylation takes place exclusively at a C-H bond α to the sp² nitrogen. The reactivity of the five-membered heterocycles corresponds to the pK_a of the conjugate acid of these heterocycles. The higher the pK_a of the substrate, the higher is the reactivity. This indicates that the pK_a values are related to the ability of the nitrogen atom in the substrates to coordinate to a ruthenium center. The coordination of the substrates to the ruthenium center in the catalyst complex is a necessary prerequisite for the carbonylation to proceed.