Copper‐Catalyzed Synthesis of Amino‐Substituted Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons by the Sequential Reaction Between Aryl Alkynyl Carboxylic Acids and Amines.

Amino-substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were obtained by the reaction between aryl alkynyl carboxylic acids and amines in the presence of a copper catalyst. The hydrocarbons were obtained in good yield without the need to isolate the 1,4-diaryl-1,3-butadiyne intermediate. The best result was obtained using a combination of CuCl and Cu(OTf)2, and the reactions of cyclic and acyclic secondary amines afforded the desired products.