Synthesis of pyridinylpyrrole derivatives via the palladium-catalyzed reaction of acetylpyridines with methyleneaziridines

The reaction of methyleneaziridines with o-, m-, and p-acetylpyridines proceeds very smoothly in the presence of a palladium catalyst, affording the biologically very important o-, m-, and p-pyridinylpyrrole derivatives in good to high yields. Not only ortho, meta, and para, but also related substrates, such as acetyl aromatics and hetarenes, can be used as the starting acetyl derivatives to synthesize related compounds to pyridinylpyrrole derivatives.