ChemInform Abstract: Copper-Catalyzed Tandem Synthesis of Indolo-, Pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines, Naphthyridines and Bisindolo/Pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines via Hydroamination of ortho-Haloarylalkynes Followed by C-2 Arylation

An efficient approach for the copper-catalyzed regioselective tandem synthesis of diversely substituted indolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines 11a–r, pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines 12a–d, and indolo-, pyrrolo[2,1-f][1,6]naphthyridines 14a–f via preferential addition of the heterocyclic amines onto the ortho-haloarylalkynes over N-arylation followed by intramolecular C-2 arylation is described. The scope of the developed chemistry was successfully extended for the direct synthesis of bisindolo-, pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines 15a–g, a regioisomer of the bisindolo[1,2-a]quinolines used as organic single-crystal field-effect transistor. Hydroxymethyl benzotriazole, which is an inexpensive and air stable compound, has been used as a ligand to carry out this one-step conversion of simple, readily available starting materials into an interesting class of heterocyclic compounds.