The reaction of β-ketonitrile and N-substituted pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde in the presence of piperidinium acetate in CH3CN permitted regioselective access to 5-acylindolizine-7-carbonitrile through a domino Knoevenagel condensation–intramolecular aldol cyclization sequence. A wide range of new indolizine derivatives with a poly-functionalized pyridine moiety were readily synthesized in an atom-economical fashion, thereby expanding the indolizine chemical space for further applications.
![Graphical abstract: A regioselective [4 + 2] annulation approach to 5-acylindolizine-7-carbonitriles: generation of poly-substituted pyridines](http://hg.y866.cn/compound/lib/scimg/usr/1/D1OB00788B.jpg)