Reactivity of several deactivated 3-aminobenzo[b]thiophenes in the Buchwald–Hartwig C–N coupling. Scope and limitations

Di(hetero)arylamines were prepared in moderate to high yields by Buchwald–Hartwig C–N coupling of bromobenzenes bearing electron-withdrawing groups and of a bromobiphenyl with several methyl 3-aminobenzo[b]thiophene-2-carboxylates, using the coupling conditions for heteroaromatic amines [Pd(OAc)2, Xantphos, Cs2CO3 in dioxane, 120 °C]. The use of these aminobenzo[b]thiophenes as coupling components avoids the step of changing the amino group into a bromine atom, like we have done before to perform C–N couplings using the corresponding 3-bromobenzo[b]thiophenes. Nevertheless, the couplings using the methyl 3-aminobenzo[b]thiophene-2-carboxylates were only successful with bromobenzenes bearing electron-withdrawing groups and a bromobiphenyl or with electron deficient rings such us as bromopyridines. Using the latter compounds, different substituted 6H-benzothieno[3,2-d]pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimid-6-ones were obtained by C–N coupling followed by an intramolecular cyclization. These tetracyclic compounds may have interesting biological activity like it was already demonstrated by us for the non substituted derivative.