Unusual chemoselective addition of diisopropylzinc to 2,2′-bipyridine-5,5′-dicarbonyl compounds in the 2-position and autoxidative reconversion with carbon-carbon bond cleavage

The chemoselective addition of diisopropylzinc to 2,2′-bipyridine-5,5′-dicarbonyl compounds in the 2-position and autoxidative reconversion with carbon-carbon bond cleavage was presented. It was shown that i-Pr₂Zn do not add to the aldehyde moiety but to the 2-position of the bipyridine to afford possessing a quaternary carbon atom in a yield of 69%. It was found that the i-Pr₂Zn does not add to the aldehyde but to the 2-position of the bipyridine ring by destroying the aromaticity of the pyridine ring.