Quinolines and their derivatives have always been promising leads for drug discovery, material applications and designing new catalysts. In the past decade, C(sp 3 )-H functionalization of 2-methyl azaarenes, particularly 2-methyl quinol- [a]
ACYLATIONAlmost the early report of C(sp 3 )-H functionalization of 2methyl quinoline was performed by treating with esters using sodamide or potassium amide as the base. This reaction followed the nucleophilic substitution at the sp 2 center of the ester by the benzylic carbanion which was formed by the base treatment (Scheme 2). A total of 15 compounds were made using this method with the yields ranging from 14-62 %. [11] After a couple of years, another report [12] appeared for this transformation, where 2-methyl quinoline and esters were reacted in the presence of phenyllithium to give corresponding acylated quinolines in 36-80 % yields. Later in 1974, J. F. Wolfe reported another approach by treating 2-methyl quinoline with esters refluxed in dimethoxyethane (DME) using sodium hydride for 1-48 h to obtain the corresponding acylated quinolines in 44-98 % yields. [13] Scheme 2.
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