Pyridine (C_5H_5N) is a launch point for creating a wide range of chemicals, including those used in drug discovery, catalysis, and materials science (1). It consists of a hexagonal ring of five carbon-hydrogen (C-H) pairs and one nitrogen (N) atom. The synthesis of pyridine derivatives bearing substituents other than hydrogen requires custom-designed processes. Among them, substitutions of one substituent for another are frequently performed while maintaining the integrity of the ring. However, the efficiency of these methods and the diversity of pyridine com- pounds that they yield need improvement (2). On pages 773 and 779 of this issue, Boyle et al. (3) and Cao et al. (4), respectively, report different approaches to breaking a pyridine ring, replacing the hydrogens, and then restoring the ring. These techniques present possible new pathways to generate a wider variety of agrochemicals, Pharmaceuticals, and material compounds.
展开▼
