Catalysis Letters, Vol.143, No.5, 495-500, 2013
Hydrogenation of 5-Alkylidene-2,4-Thiazolidiones on Pd/C Catalysts Under Mild Conditions: An Alternative Synthesis Route to Pioglitazone
The hydrogenation of 5-alkylidene-2,4-thiazolidiones was studied using Pd/C to establish an alternative process for pioglitazone synthesis. The reportedly sluggish reactivity was due to the high reaction temperature in formic acid. The conditions were improved to 1 atm at 296 K, which results in a quantitative product with a smaller amount of the catalyst.