Selective syntheses of metalated pyridines from two different unsymmetrical acetylenes, a nitrile, and a titanium(II) alkoxide.

Cyclotrimerization of two different, unsymmetrical acetylenes and p-toluenesulfonylnitrile with a divalent titanium alkoxide reagent, Ti(O-i-Pr)4/2 i-PrMgCl, yielded single pyridyltitanium compounds in a highly selective manner. These metalated pyridines were confirmed by deuteriolysis to give the corresponding deuterated pyridines and underwent iodinolysis and copper-catalyzed alkylation to demonstrate their synthetic utility. Alternatively, a different type of cyclotrimerization of an alkynamide, terminal acetylenes, and alpha-alkoxynitriles mediated by the same titanium(II) alkoxide again proceeded in a highly selective manner to give single pyridines having a titanated side chain.