Synthesis of Pyrido-Fused Quinazolinone Derivatives via Copper-Catalyzed Domino Reaction

A simple and efficient synthesis of 11H-pyrido[2,1-b]quinazolin-11-ones by Cu(OAc)2·H2O-catalyzed reaction of easily available substituted isatins and 2-bromopyridine derivatives has been developed. The reaction involves C–N/C–C bond cleavage and two C–N bond formations in a one-pot operation. This methodology is complementary to previously reported synthetic procedures, and two plausible reaction mechanisms are discussed.