An optimized Heck ethylenation of 2-acetamido-5-bromopyridine using a unique catalytic combination of phosphine ligands,tri-
o-tolylphosphine and BINAP (
S-(-)- or racemic) as anadditive/promoter is described. The best conditions for ethylenation
were determined to be 1 mol % of palladium acetate,3.3 mol % of tri-
o-tolylphosphine, 0.25 mol % of BINAP and180 mol % of triethylamine in acetonitrile at 90
C. Inoptimizing the reaction, the purity of the tri-
o-tolylphosphine
was critical. The reaction time
was extended by 3-fold
whenlo
wer purity phosphine
was used. The final process
was carriedout on 46.5 mol of 2-acetamido-5-bromopyridine, providing71.6% of the corresponding vinyl-substituted pyridine adduct.