Intramolecular heteroaryl Heck reaction

In a synthetic route to the E-azaebumane series, an intramolecular heteroaryl Heck reaction was the major cyclization strategy [140], Under Jeffery s ligand-free conditions, E-azaebumane skeleton 182 was prepared from bromopyridine 181. The migratory insertion occurred at C(2) of the indole ring. 

An intramolecular heteroaryl Heck reaction was the pivotal step in the synthesis of 5-butyl-l -methyl- l//-imidazo[4,5-c]quinolin-4(5Z7)-one (77), a potent antiasthmatic agent [72]. The optimum yield was obtained under Jeffery s ligand-free conditions. 

Palladium chemistry involving heterocycles has its unique characteristics stemming from the heterocycles inherently different structural and electronic properties in comparison to the corresponding carbocyclic aryl compounds. One example illustrating the striking difference in reactivity between a heteroarene and a carbocyclic arene is the heteroaryl Heck reaction (vide infra, see Section 1.4). We define a heteroaryl Heck reaction as an intermolecular or an intramolecular Heck reaction occurring onto a heteroaryl recipient. Intermolecular Heck reactions of carbocyclic arenes as the recipients are rare [12a-d], whereas heterocycles including thiophenes, furans, thiazoles, oxazoles, imidazoles, pyrroles and indoles, etc. are excellent substrates. For instance, the heteroaryl Heck reaction of 2-chloro-3,6-diethylpyrazine (1) and benzoxazole occurred at the C(2) position of benzoxazole to elaborate pyrazinylbenzoxazole 2 [12e]. 

The Heck, intramolecular Heck and heteroaryl Heck reactions... 

Halofurans and halobenzofurans readily participate in Heck reactions with alkenes, and it is possible to synthesize benzofurans via intramolecular Heck reactions of aryl vinyl ethers. The heteroaromatic behavior of furans enable them to undergo heteroaryl Heck reactions to provide substituted furans. 

Another intramolecular Heck reaction could be called a heteroaryl Heck reaction because the C-C bond formation involves a benzene and an indole ring. The resulting phenylcarbazoles are potential anti-cancer agents functioning as DNA topoisomerase I inhibitors. 

In contrast to facile reactions of aryl halides with alkenes and alkynes, reactions of aromatic compounds with aryl halides have received less attention. Only intramolecular arylation of benzene derivatives, except phenols, is known [1]. On the other hand, electron-rich heterocycles such as ffirans, thiophenes, pyrroles, oxa-zoles, imidazoles, and thiazoles undergo facile inter- and intramolecular arylation with aryl halides. These are called heteroaryl Heck reactions [2]. 

Intermolecular or intramolecular Heck reaction that occurs onto a heteroaryl recipient. 

The last method for the preparation of 2-quinolones described in this chapter relies on a intramolecular Heck cyclization starting from heteroaryl-amides (Table 2) [57]. These are synthesized either from commercially available pyrrole- and thiophene-2-carboxylic acids (a, Table 2) or thiophene-and furan-3-carboxylic acids (b, Table 2) in three steps. The Heck cyclization is conventionally performed with W,Ar-dimethylacetamide (DMA) as solvent, KOAc as base and Pd(PPh3)4 as catalyst for 24 h at 120 °C resulting in the coupled products in 56-89% yields. As discussed in Sect. 3.4, transition metal-catalyzed reactions often benefit from microwave irradiation [58-61], and so is the case also for this intramolecular reaction. In fact, derivatives with an aryl iodide were successfully coupled by conventional methods, whereas the heteroarylbromides 18 and 19, shown in Table 2, could only be coupled in satisfying yields by using MAOS (Table 2). 

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