Synthesis of 4-(1,3-dioxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-2-indenyl) substituted 1-benzylpyrrole-3-carboxylates via a tandem four-component reaction

An efficient approach for the preparation of functionalized 4-(1,3-dioxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-2-indenyl) substituted 1-benzylpyrrole-3-carboxylates is described. This four-component reaction between ninhydrin, 1-phenyl-2-(1,1,1-triphenyl-λ5-phosphanylidene)-1-ethanone, primary amines and alkyl acetoacetate proceeds in MeOH under reflux condition in good to excellent yields.