MSc dissertation School of Chemistry Faculty of Science 0004984F / Many azapolycyclic aromatic ring systems, whether they are naturally occurring or synthetically made, display important biological activities. One important class of naturally occurring azapolycyclic aromatic ring systems are the dibenzopyrrocoline alkaloids, which contain an indole ring fused to an isoquinoline moiety, where they share a common nitrogen. The basic skeleton of these alkaloids is the indolo[2,1-a]isoquinoline nucleus. Both the dibenzopyrrocoline alkaloids and the indolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines have been found to inhibit tubulin polymerization and thus possess antitumour and antileukemic activities. In our laboratories, a variety of indolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines, for example 5,12- dimethyl-6-phenylindolo[2,1-a]isoquinoline, have been synthesized using the Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling reaction and reaction conditions for the formation of aromatic rings (KOBut in DMF and a light source – developed in our laboratories) as key steps. In this dissertation we discuss the synthesis of (±)-5,6-dihydro-6-phenylindolo[2,1-a]isoquinolin-5-ol and ethyl indolo[2,1- a]isoquinoline-6-carboxylate using these reaction conditions as our key steps. The syntheses commenced with the N-protection of isatin with a benzyl and an ethyl acetate group to afford 1-benzylindoline-2,3-dione and ethyl 2-(2,3- dioxoindolin-1-yl)acetate respectively. The next step was the synthesis of the brominated compounds 1-benzyl-2-bromo-1H-indole and ethyl 2-(2-bromo- 1H-indol-1-yl)acetate by means of a functional group interconversion of the oxygen in the 3-position to two chlorine atoms, followed by hydrodehalogenation, using zinc in AcOH, and then bromination, using POBr3 in CH2Cl2. Having obtained the brominated compounds we went on and coupled them with 2-formylphenylboronic acid using the Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling reaction to obtain the coupled products 2-(1-benzyl-1H-indol-2- yl)benzaldehyde and ethyl 2-(2-(2-formylphenyl)-1H-indol-1-yl)acetate in 92 and 77% yield, respectively. Aromatisation of ethyl 2-(2-(2-formylphenyl)-1Hindol- 1-yl)acetate to ethyl indolo[2,1-a]isoquinoline-6-carboxylate occurred smoothly in 2 minutes using 10 mol % KOBut in DMF at room temperature. Using the same reaction conditions on 2-(1-benzyl-1H-indol-2- yl)benzaldehyde to form 6-phenylindolo-[2,1-a]isoquino-line resulted in (±)- 5,6-dihydro-6-phenylindolo[2,1-a]iso-quinolin-5-ol being obtained in 75% yield (7:3 ratio of anti:syn). An attempt to dehydrate this compound using p-TSA in CH2Cl2 in the presence of molecular sieves was not successful. Time constraints prevented any further attempts at dehydrating (±)-5,6-dihydro-6- phenylindolo[2,1-a]iso-quinolin-5-ol. In conclusion, we managed to synthesize (±)-5,6-dihydro-6-phenylindolo[2,1- a]isoquinolin-5-ol and ethyl indolo[2,1-a]isoquinoline-6-carboxylate using the Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling reaction and specific reaction conditions, using the base KOtBu, for the formation of aromatic rings, both as key steps.

The 2-aryl-6,8-dibromoquinazolin-4(3H)-ones were prepared in a single-pot operation by condensing 6,8-dibromoanthranilamide and aryl aldehydes in the presence of molecular iodine in ethanol. Treatment of the 2-aryl-6,8-dibromoquinazolin-4(3H)-ones with thionylchloride in the presence of dimethylformamide afforded the corresponding 2-aryl-4-chloro-6,8-dibromoquinazolines. Palladium(0)-copper iodide catalysed Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction of 2-aryl-4-chloro-6,8-dibromoquinazolines with terminal alkynes at room temperature afforded series of 2-aryl-6,8-dibromo-4-(alkynyl)quinazolines. Further transformation of the 2-aryl-6,8-dibromo-4-(phenylethynyl)quinazolines via Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling with arylboronic acids occurred without selectivity to afford the corresponding 2,6,8-triaryl-4-(phenylethynyl)quinazolines. The compounds were characterized using a combination of NMR (1H and 13C) and IR spectroscopic techniques as well as mass spectrometry. The absorption and emission properties of 2,6,8-triaryl-4-(phenylethynyl)quinazolines were determined in solution. / Chemistry / M.Sc. (Chemistry)

The 2-aryl-6,8-dibromoquinazolin-4(3H)-ones were prepared in a single-pot operation by condensing 6,8-dibromoanthranilamide and aryl aldehydes in the presence of molecular iodine in ethanol. Treatment of the 2-aryl-6,8-dibromoquinazolin-4(3H)-ones with thionylchloride in the presence of dimethylformamide afforded the corresponding 2-aryl-4-chloro-6,8-dibromoquinazolines. Palladium(0)-copper iodide catalysed Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction of 2-aryl-4-chloro-6,8-dibromoquinazolines with terminal alkynes at room temperature afforded series of 2-aryl-6,8-dibromo-4-(alkynyl)quinazolines. Further transformation of the 2-aryl-6,8-dibromo-4-(phenylethynyl)quinazolines via Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling with arylboronic acids occurred without selectivity to afford the corresponding 2,6,8-triaryl-4-(phenylethynyl)quinazolines. The compounds were characterized using a combination of NMR (1H and 13C) and IR spectroscopic techniques as well as mass spectrometry. The absorption and emission properties of 2,6,8-triaryl-4-(phenylethynyl)quinazolines were determined in solution. / Chemistry / M.Sc. (Chemistry)

The known 2-aryl-6,8-dibromo-2,3-dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-ones 122 were dehydrogenated using thallium(III) p-tolylsulfonate in dimethoxyethane under reflux to afford the 2-aryl-6,8-dibromoquinolin-4(1H)-ones 136. Palladium-catalyzed Sonogashira cross-coupling of the 2-aryl-6,8-dibromo-2,3-dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-ones with terminal alkynes in the presence of PdCl2(PPh3)2-CuI (as homogeneous catalyst source) and 10% Pd/C-PPh3-CuI (as heterogeneous catalyst source) catalyst mixture and NEt3 as a base and co-solvent in ethanol under reflux afforded the corresponding 6,8-dialkynyl-2-aryl-2,3-dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-ones 138 and 8-alkynyl-2-aryl-6-bromo-2,3-dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-ones 137, respectively. PdCl2-catalyzed electrophilic cyclization of the 8-alkynyl-2-aryl-6-bromo-2,3-dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-ones in acetonitrile under reflux afforded the 4-aryl-8-bromo-2-phenyl-6H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolin-6-ones 139 or the 2-aryl-6-bromo-8-(4-hydroxybutanoyl)-2,3-dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-ones 140 from the 4-phenylethynyl-substituted or 4-alkylethynyl-substituted precursors, respectively. The 2-aryl-6,8-dibromoquinolin-4(1H)-ones 136 wturn, subjected to similar homogeneous and heterogeneous palladium catalyst sources using NEt3 as a base in DMF-water mixture under reflux and K2CO3 as a base in dioxane under reflux afforded 2,8-disubstituted 4-aryl-6-oxopyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolines 143 and 2-substituted 4-aryl-8-bromo-6-oxopyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolines 142, respectively. The monoalkynylated 4-aryl-8-bromo-2-phenyl-6H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolin-6-ones 139 and 2-substituted 4-aryl-8-bromo-6-oxopyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolines 142 were subsequently transformed using palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling with arylboronic acids in the presence of PdCl2(PPh3)2-PCy3 catalyst mixture and K2CO3 as a base in dioxane-water mixture to afford the corresponding novel 8-substituted 2-phenyl-6H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolin-6-ones 141 and 2,8-disubstituted 4-aryl-6-oxopyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolines 144, respectively. All the new compounds were characterized using a combination of 1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR, mass spectroscopic techniques and X-ray crystallography. / Chemistry / D. Phil. (Chemistry)