Appropriate 2-ethoxycarbonylpyridinium salts are hydrolysed to 1 -aryl-4,6-diphenylpyridinium-2-carboxylate betaines which undergo thermal decarboxylation to afford, in the presence of acids, 1 -aryl-2,4-diphenylpyridinium salts. The intermediate ylides are captured by acid chlorides to yield 2-acylpyridinium salts and by CS, to give dithio analogues of the starting betaines. With bromine, the carboxylate betaine yields a 2,2'-bipyridyl bisquaternary salt.1 -Benzyl-4,6 -dip henylpyrid in ium -2-carboxy late with benzoyl chloride yields 2 -benzoyl-4,6 -diphenylpyridine and benzyl chloride. Benzaldehydes in place of PhCOCI, also gave 2-acylpyridines.The original objective of the present work was to induce aryl migration in intermediates of type (2), related to previously studied intramolecular nucleophilic attacks on N-aryl groups in suitably substituted pyridinium salts which resulted in easy displacement at the @so-carbon atom of the N-aryl group, and transfer to an oxygen,* ~u l p h u r ,~ or nitrogen ' s 4 atom. A r ( 1 ) I VAr ( 3 )While rearrangements (2+(3) were not achieved, several new reactions of the zwitterions (1) were disclosed. Transformations of type (lfi(2) have been reported by several authors, notably Ratts' (capture by RCHO) and Quast6*7 (capture by diazonium salts and by azides), and we now considerably extend the range of this reaction type.2-Ethoxycarbonyl-4,6-diphenylpyrylium tetrafluoroborate (4) reacted with aniline, p-toluidine, and benzylamine under standard conditions 8,9 to give the corresponding 1 -substituted pyridinium salts (5a-c) in high yields. These pyridinium-2-esters (5a-c) were hydrolysed by aqueous sodium hydroxide at ambient temperature to the 1 -substituted 4,6-diphenylpyridinium-2-carboxylate betaines (6a-c) in good yield. The crystalline carboxylate betaines (6a) and (6b) contain water of crystallisation, as shown by a singlet (2H) in their 'H n.m.r. spectra at 6 2.9, and by elemental analysis.' Anhydrous samples could not be obtained; both drying over magnesium sulphate in methylene chloride and attempted recrystallisation caused decomposition.1-Aryl-4,6-diphenylpyridinium-2-carboxylates (6a) and (6b) were converted into the 2-carboxy salts (8a) and (8b) in methylene chloride at 0 "C with tetrafluoroboric acid. The acid tetrafluoroborates were obtained analytically pure, free of water of crystallisation and in good yield. Their i.r. spectra showed the appearance of the BF4-band at 1050 em-' and a shift of the carbonyl stretching band from 1 650 cm-' in (6a) and (6b) to 1 720 em-' in (8a) and (8b).Decarboxylation of the 1 -Substituted 4,6-Diphenylpyridinium-2-carboxylates (6a+).-The 2-carboxy salts (8a) and (8b) are thermally unstable. When recrystallised from ethanol, the G O band at 1 720 cm-' was lost from the i.r. spectra, and elemental analysis confirmed loss of CO,. (5t(10): a, R = Ph; b, R = 4-MeC6H,; c, R = CH,Ph (7): A, X = I; B, X = Br; C, X = C1 (9): A, R' = Ph; R' = Me (11): a, Ar = Ph; b, Ar = p-MeC6H4; c, Ar = p-NO,C,H,; d, Ar = p-CIC,H, Scheme 2. Reagenfs:...