Synlett 2009(11): 1847-1851  
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1217383
LETTER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ˙ New York

Regioselective Synthesis of Quinolin-4-ones by Pyrolysis of Anilinomethylene Derivatives of Meldrum’s Acid

Lawrence Hilla, S. Haider Imama, Hamish McNab*b, William J. O’Neillb
a Durham Organics Ltd., Units 12-14, Langley Moor Industrial Estate, Langley Moor, Durham, DH7 8JE, UK
b School of Chemistry, The University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JJ, UK
Fax: +44(131)6504743; e-Mail: H.McNab@ed.ac.uk;
Further Information

Publication History

Received 30 January 2009
Publication Date:
16 June 2009 (online)

Abstract

Electron-rich and electron-deficient anilinomethylene derivatives of Meldrum’s acid cyclize equally efficiently to quinolin-4-ones via imidoylketene intermediates under flash vacuum pyrolysis (FVP) conditions.

    References and Notes

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10

Prior isolation of 1 provides much cleaner products 2 (³ 95% yield) than the one-pot method reported in ref. 5.

12

FVP of 2b (0.600 g, T f = 600 ˚C, T i = 170 ˚C, t = 50 min, P = 2.3˙10-5 bar) gave a yellow solid (0.403 g, quant.), recrystallization from MeOH gave 6-methoxy-1H-quinolin-4-one (3b, 0.234 g, 61%); mp 243-246 ˚C (from MeOH; lit.¹¹ 251-252 ˚C). ¹H NMR (360 MHz, DMSO-d 6): δ = 11.78 (1 H, br s), 7.87 (1 H, d, ³ J = 7.2 Hz), 7.53-7.52 (2 H, m), 7.30 (1 H, dd, ³ J = 9.1 Hz, 4 J = 2.1 Hz), 6.03 (1 H, d, ³ J = 7.2 Hz), 3.85 (3 H, s), see Figure  [¹] .
FVP of 2c (0.704 g, T f = 600 ˚C, T i = 160 ˚C, t = 1 h, P = 1.9˙10-5 bar) gave a yellow solid (0.414 g, 93%), in which the ratio 3ca/3cb was 7:93 by ¹H NMR spectroscopy, and which provided pure 7-methoxy-1H-quinolin-4-one (3cb, 0.277 g, 62%), after recrystallization from MeOH, mp 210-212 ˚C (from MeOH; lit.¹¹ 219-220 ˚C). ¹H NMR (360 MHz, DMSO-d 6): δ = 11.62 (1 H, br s), 8.00 (1 H, dd, ³ J = 7.6 Hz, 4 J = 2.5 Hz), 7.84 (1 H, d, ³ J = 7.6 Hz), 6.94-6.90 (2 H, m), 5.97 (1 H, d, ³ J = 7.6 Hz), 3.86 (3 H, s), see Figure  [²] .
FVP of 2d (0.850 g, T f = 500 ˚C, T i = 160 ˚C, t = 25 min, P = 3.6˙10-5 bar) gave 8-methoxy-1H-quinolin-4-one (3da, 0.535 g, 99%); mp 124-126 ˚C [from EtOH; lit.¹³ 134-135 ˚C(hydrate)]. ¹H NMR (360 MHz, DMSO-d 6): δ = 7.82 (1 H, d, ³ J = 7.2 Hz), 7.70 (1 H, dd, ³ J = 6.5 Hz, 4 J = 2.9 Hz), 7.30-7.28 (2 H, m), 6.12 (1 H, d, ³ J = 7.6 Hz), 4.30 (3 H, s), see Figure  [³] .

15

FVP of 2e (0.610 g, T f = 600 ˚C, T i = 200 ˚C, t = 1.25 h, P = 3.1˙10-5 bar) gave 6-cyano-1H-quinolin-4-one¹6 (3e) as an orange solid (0.358 g, 94%); mp 186 ˚C (from MeOH). ¹H NMR (250 MHz, DMSO-d 6): δ = 8.47 (1 H, dd, 4 J = 1.9 Hz, 5 J = 0.5 Hz), 8.06 (1 H, d, ³ J = 7.6 Hz), 8.02 (1 H, dd, ³ J = 8.7 Hz, 4 J = 1.9 Hz), 7.72 (1 H, dd, ³ J = 8.7 Hz, 5 J = 0.5 Hz), 6.20 (1 H, d, ³ J = 7.6 Hz).
FVP of 2f (0.306 g, T f = 650 ˚C, T i = 210 ˚C, t = 25 min, P = 4.0˙10-5 bar) gave a ca. 25:75 mixture of 5- and 7-cyano-1H-quinolin-4-ones¹7 (3fa and 3fb; 0.176 g, 94%). ¹H NMR (250 MHz, DMSO-d 6): δ (7-isomer, 250 MHz) = 8.28 (1 H, dd, ³ J = 8.3 Hz, 4 J = 0.4 Hz), 8.06 (1 H, m), 7.81 (1 H, m), 7.71 (1 H, dd, ³ J = 8.3 Hz, 4 J = 1.5 Hz), 6.21 (1 H, d, ³ J = 7.5 Hz).
FVP of 2g (0.604 g, T f = 600 ˚C, T i = 180 ˚C, t = 20 min, P = 3.7˙10-5 bar) gave 8-cyano-1H-quinolin-4-one (3g, 0.242 g, 64%); mp 234-236 ˚C (from MeOH; lit.¹8 260-262 ˚C). ¹H NMR (250 MHz, DMSO-d 6): δ = 8.43 (1 H, dd, ³ J = 8.0 Hz, 4 J = 1.7 Hz), 8.25 (1 H, dd, ³ J = 7.4 Hz, 4 J = 1.7 Hz), 8.00 (1 H, d, ³ J = 7.2 Hz), 7.51 (1 H, dd, ³ J = 8.0, 7.4 Hz), 6.32 (1 H, d, ³ J = 7.2 Hz).

20

FVP of 2h (0.664 g, T f = 600 ˚C, T i = 200 ˚C, t = 1 h, P = 3.2˙10-5 bar) gave 6-nitro-1H-quinolin-4-one (3h, 0.283 g, 66%); mp >320 ˚C (from MeOH; lit.²¹ 337-342 ˚C). ¹H NMR (250 MHz, DMSO-d 6): δ = 8.88 (1 H, d, ³ J = 2.8 Hz), 8.46 (1 H, dd, ³ J = 9.2 Hz, 4 J = 2.8 Hz), 8.09 (1 H, d, ³ J = 7.9 Hz), 7.76 (1 H, dd, ³ J = 9.2 Hz, 5 J = 0.5 Hz), 6.24 (1 H, d, ³ J = 7.9 Hz).

23

FVP of 7 (0.323 g, T f = 600 ˚C, T i = 200 ˚C, t = 1 h, P = 3.3˙10-5 bar) gave a yellow solid (0.182 g) and recrystalli-zation from MeOH provided 1H-benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-one (8, 0.129 g, 62%); mp 285-287 ˚C (from MeOH; lit.²4 290 ˚C). ¹H NMR (250 MHz, DMSO-d 6): δ = 8.45 (1 H, d, ³ J = 8.0 Hz), 8.00 (1 H, d, ³ J = 6.9 Hz), 7.58 (1 H, d, ³ J = 7.6 Hz), 7.50 (1 H, td, ³ J = 7.6 Hz, 4 J = 1.3 Hz), 7.34 (1 H, td, ³ J = 8.0 Hz, 4 J = 1.3 Hz), 5.99 (1 H, d, ³ J = 6.9 Hz).