Novel synthesis of cinnolines and 1-aminoindolines via Cu-catalyzed intramolecular N-arylation of hydrazines and hydrazones prepared from 3-haloaryl-3-hydroxy-2-diazopropanoates.

A new and facile access to cinnolines, dihydrocinnolines, and 1-aminoindolines was established by use of diazo functionalities. The hydrazines and hydrazones as cyclization precursors derived from 3-haloaryl-3-hydroxy-2-diazopropanoates, which are prepared by one-pot procedure utilizing phase-transfer catalysis, are successfully converted to the corresponding nitrogen heterocycle by Cu-catalyzed N-arylation. Furthermore, analysis of UV spectra proved that 4-oxo-3-carboxylates predominantly exist not as 4-hydroxycinnoline (enol form) but as cinnolone (keto form).