Regioselectivity of palladium-catalyzed sonogashira cross-coupling of 2-aryl-4-chloro-3-iodoquinoline- derivatives with terminal alkynes

Abstract

Sonogashira cross-coupling of 2-aryl-4-chloro-3-iodoquinoline derivatives with stoichiometric amount of terminal alkynes in the presence of bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II)chloride and copper iodide in triethylamine afforded the 3-(alkynyl)-2-aryl-4-chloroquinoline, exclusively. On the other hand, the 2-aryl-4-chloro-3-iodoquinolines with excess (2.5 equiv.) of terminal alkynes in the presence of PdCl2(PPh3)2-CuI catalyst mixture and NEt3 in dioxane-water (3:1 v/v) afforded the 2-aryl-3,4-bis(alkynyl)quinoline derivatives in a one-step operation. Further transformation of the 2-aryl-3-(alkynyl)-4-chloroquinoline via Suzuki cross-coupling reaction with boronic acid derivatives in the presence of tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium and tricyclohexylphosphine as a ligand in dioxane-water (3:1 v/v) afforded the 2,4-diaryl-3-(alkynyl)quinolines in moderate to high yields. The 2-aryl-3-(alkynyl)-4-chloroquinolines were also transformed to the corresponding 2-aryl-4-(methylamino)-3-(alkynyl)quinoline derivatives using methylamine in ethanol under reflux.