Preparation and Reactions of Heteroarylmethylzinc Reagents

We report a general preparation of heteroarylmethylzinc chlorides by direct zinc insertion into heteroarylmethyl chlorides, along with a facile and straightforward synthesis of these heterocyclic chloromethyl precursors. We demonstrate that heteroarylmethylzinc reagents undergo various reactions including cross-couplings, allylations, acylations, and addition reactions to aldehydes, leading to polyfunctional heterocyclic products. Furthermore, these heteroaromatic zinc compounds prove to be versatile reagents for the preparation of various N- and O-heterocycles and give access to an analogue of a CB1 modifier.