Mechanistic studies leading to a new procedure for rapid microwave assisted generation of pyridine-3,5-dicarbonitrile libraries

Mechanistic investigations into the multi-component synthesis of pyridine-3,5-dicarbonitriles have established a defined reaction pathway, particularly clarifying the role of aerobic oxidation in conversion of the intermediate 1,4-dihydropyridines into the final products. Based on such improved understanding of the reaction mechanism, optimised conditions for the preparation of compound libraries based on this core structure have been developed and represent a significant improvement in yield over existing protocols. Particularly, microwave assisted synthesis was found to provide a procedure suitable for high-throughput synthesis of pyridine-3,5-dicarbonitrile libraries.