On the mechanism of pyrrole formation in the knorr pyrrole synthesis and by porphobilinogen synthase

Abstract

Attempts to synthesise a derivative of N-vinylaminoethanal either by oxidation of the corresponding alcohol or by hydrolysis of the corresponding dithioacetal were unsuccessful, but such derivatives were characterised by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy of reactions between ethyl 2-aminoacetoacetate and an excess of ethyl acetoacetate, leading to diethyl 2,4-dimethylpyrrole-3,5-dicarboxylate.