2. Synthesis of Pyridine
1. By passing a mixture of acetylene and hydrogen cyanide through a red hot tube.
2. From Glutaconaldehyde and ammonia.
HC
HC
HC
HC
CH
N
N
pyridine
O OH
Glutaconaldehyde
+ NH3
-2H2O
N
pyridine
Chem Eazy
3. 3. From Pentamethylenediamine hydrochloride.
4. Oxidation of 3-methyl pyridine (β-picoline)
H2N NH2.HCl
HCl.
-NH4Cl, HCl N
H
piperidine
H2SO4
300 °C N
pyridine
Pentamethylenediamine
hydrochloride
N
CH3
3- methylpyridine
K2Cr2O7
H2SO4
N
COOH
Nicotinic acid
CaO N
pyridine
+ CO2
Chem Eazy
5. 1. Electrophilic substitution Reactions
Pyridine is much lesser reactive than benzene towards electrophilic reagents.
Because, the electronegativity of nitrogen lowers the electron density around the
ring carbons & the usual electrophiles can coordinate with the lone pair of electrons
on nitrogen to form resonance stabilized pyridinium ion.
The formation of pyridinium ion deactivates the ring and thus further substitution
occurs with difficulty and at position 3.
N
N
+ E
+
E
+
Pyridinium ion
Chem Eazy
6. Electrophilic attack at position-2
Electrophilic attack at position-4
Resonance forms A & B which result from attack at position 2 & 4 respectively are
energetically unfavourable and may be ignored. Because, the nitrogen atom in these forms has only six
electrons. The intermediates arising from attack at position 2 & 4 have two resonance forms each.
N
+ E
+
N E
H
+
N E
H
+
N E
H
+
[A]
-H+
N E
N
+ E
+
N
H E
+
N
H E
+
[B]
N
H E
+ -H+
N
E
Chem Eazy
7. So, the product with a substituent at position-3 predominates.
Electrophilic attack at position-3
[If position-3 is already blocked, substitution will occur at the other available β-position,
i.e., at position-5]
Pyridine may be substituted by electrophilic reagents only under vigorous conditions.
N
+ E
+
N
E
H
+
N
E
H
+
N
E
H
+
-H+
N
E
Chem Eazy
8. a. Nitration: With nitric acid in the presence of sulfuric acid at 300°C
b. Sulphonation: With fuming sulfuric acid in the presence of mercuric sulphate at
230°C
N
+ HNO 3
H2SO4
300 °C N
NO2
pyridine 3-nitropyridine
N
pyridine
N
SO3H
pyridine-3-sulfonic acid
H2SO4
HgSO4, 230 °C
Chem Eazy
9. c. Bromination: Brominated by passing the vapours of pyridine and bromine
over charcoal at 300°C.
When temperature of 500°C is used, a mixture of 2-bromopyridine and
2,6-dibromopyridine is obtained.
N
pyridine
N
Br
+
3-bromopyridine
N
Br
Br
3,5-dibromopyridine
Br2
300 °C
N
pyridine
N Br
+
N Br
Br
Br2
500 °C
2-bromopyridine 2,6-dibromopyridine
Chem Eazy
10. d. Friedel-Crafts Acylation and Alkylation
Pyridine doesn’t undergo Friedel-Crafts reaction. Because Lewis acid which are
used as catalysts in these reactions coordinate with the lone pair of electrons on
nitrogen.
e. Mercuration: Pyridine can be mercurated with mercuric acetate
N
+ AlCl 3
pyridine
N
AlCl 3
+
Pyridine-Aluminium
complex
N
pyridine
+ Hg(OCOCH 3)2
Mercuric acetate
N
HgOCOCH 3
3- pyridylmercuric acetate
Chem Eazy
11. Presence of electron donating substituents
Presence of electron-donating substituents will make electrophilic
aromatic substitution easier and will direct substitution to the less sterically
hindered ortho or para position.
N
NHCH 3
3-(methylamino)pyridine
HNO3
H2SO4
N
NHCH 3
NO2
3-Methylamino- 2-nitropyridine
N NH2
HNO3
H2SO4 N NH2
O2N
2-aminopyridine 2-amino- 5-nitropyridine
Chem Eazy
12. 2. Nucleophilic substitution Reactions
The electron deficient nature of the 2 and 4 positions of pyridine makes
these positions very reactive towards nucleophilic reagents.
N Br N NH2
2-bromopyridine 2-aminopyridine
NH3
180 - 200 °C
N
Cl
N
NH2
4-chloropyridine 4-aminopyridine
NH3
180 - 200 °C
Chem Eazy
13. Typical nucleophilic reactions of Pyridine
i. [Chichibabin Reaction]
ii.
iii.
N
NaNH2
100 °C N NH2
2-aminopyridine
N
C6H5NHNa
Toluene, 100 °C N NHC 6H5
N-phenylpyridin-2-amine
N
C6H5Li - C6H5CH3
100 °C N C6H5
2-phenylpyridine
Chem Eazy
14. iv.
v.
vi. 4-chloropyridine reacts with sodium methoxide to form 4-methoxypyridine, but 3-
chloropyridine does not react with sodium methoxide.
N N CH2CH2CH2CH3
2-butylpyridine
CH3CH2CH2CH2Li
100 °C
N
C6H5CH2MgCl
N CH2C6H5 N
CH2C6H5
+
2-benzylpyridine 4-benzylpyridine
N
Cl
4-chloropyridine
CH3ONa
N
OCH 3
4-methoxypyridine
Chem Eazy
15. 3. Oxidation
Due to low electron-density about its carbon atoms, pyridine is more resistant
than benzene to most of the oxidizing agents, such as boiling nitric acid or chromic acid.
It is evident by the oxidation of 2-phenylpyridine to pyridine-2-carboxylic acid.
However, pyridine is oxidised by perbenzoic acid, peracetic acid or hydrogen
peroxide in acetic acid to pyridine-1-oxide.
N C6H5
2-phenylpyridine
N COOH
pyridine-2-carboxylic acid
N
C6H5CO3H
N
O
+
Pyridine- 1-oxide
Chem Eazy
16. 4. Reduction
Due to lower electron density about the carbon atoms the pyridine ring is
more easily reduced than benzene.
Raney nickel reduces pyridine to piperidine even at atmospheric pressure.
If reduction is effected by means of hydriodic acid at 300°C, the piperidine ring
also reduced with the opening of the ring.
N
pyridine
+ 3H2
N
H
piperidine
Raney Ni HI
300 °C
CH3CH2CH2CH2CH3 + NH3
n-pentane
Chem Eazy
17. Sodium in liquid ammonia reduces pyridine to 1,4-dihydropyridine.
Pyridine can also be reduced using sodium and alcohol (or) lithium aluminium
hydride.
N
pyridine
Na - Liq.NH3
N
H
1,4-dihydropyridine
N
Na/ROH
(or) LiAlH4
N
H
Tetrahydropyridine
Chem Eazy
19. Pyridoxine
Pyridoxine is used to treat or prevent vitamin
B6 deficiency. It is also used to treat a certain
type of anemia (lack of red blood cells).
Pyridoxine injection is also used to treat
some types of seizure in babies.
N
CH2OH
CH2OH
HO
H3C
Pyridoxine
Chem Eazy
20. Nicotine
Nicotine is a stimulatory alkaloid found in
tobacco products that is often used for the
relief of nicotine withdrawal symptoms and
as an aid to smoking cessation.
N
N
CH3
Nicotine
Chem Eazy
21. Pantoprazole
Pantoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor
used to treat erosive esophagitis, gastric
acid hypersecretion, and to promote
healing of tissue damage caused by
gastric acid.
N
OCH 3
OCH 3
CH2
N
HN
O F
F
S
O
Pantoprazole
Chem Eazy
22. Amlodipine
Amlodipine is a calcium channel
blocker used to treat hypertension and
angina. N
H
Cl
COOCH 2CH3
CH2OCH 2CH2NH2
H3C
H3COOC
Amlodipine
Chem Eazy
23. Ethionamide
Ethionamide is a second line antitubercular
agent used to treat tuberculosis when other
treatments have failed.
N
NH2
S
H3CH2C
Ethionamide
Chem Eazy
24. Isoniazid
Isoniazid is an antibiotic used to treat
mycobacterial infections; most commonly used
in combination with other antimycobacterial
agents for the treatment of active or latent
tuberculosis.
N
NH-NH 2
O
Isoniazid
Chem Eazy