Iodine-methanol mediated oxidative-aromatization of 2-aryl-6,8-dibromo-2,3-dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-ones afforded the corresponding 2-aryl-6,8-dibromo-4-methoxy-quinolines in high yield and purity. The isomeric 1-(2-amino-3,5-dibromophenyl)-3-aryl-2-propen-1-ones reacted with iodine in methanol afford in a single pot operation the corresponding 2-aryl-6,8-dibromo-4-methoxyquinoline (major) and 2-aryl-6,8-dibromoquinolin-4(1H)-one (minor) products that were separated in sequence by column chromatography on silica gel. Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of the 6,8-dibromo-4-methoxyquinoline derivatives with excess arylvinylboronic acids afforded the corresponding 2-aryl-6,8-bis(2-arylethenyl)-4-methoxyquinolines. The absorption and fluorescence properties of these compounds were also determined.

ABSTRACT. Direct bromination of 2-aminobenzamide was achieved using N-bromosuccinimide in chloroform-carbon tetrachloride mixture at room temperature for 3 h to afford 2-amino-3,5-dibromobenzamide in high yield and purity. 2-Amino-3,5-dibromobenzamide was, in turn, condensed with benzaldehyde derivatives in the presence of boric acid to afford novel 2-aryl-6,8-dibromo-2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones. Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of the latter with arylboronic acids yielded the corresponding 2,6,8-triaryl-2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones. These triarylquinazolin-4(1H)-ones were dehydrogenated using iodine (2 equiv.) in ethanol under reflux to yield the potentially tautomeric 2,6,8-triarylquinazolin-4(3H)-ones.

Herein we describe the synthesis and evaluation of a series of novel 2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinazolin-1-ones for in vitro cytotoxicity against three human cancer cell lines as well as for potential antimalarial activity against the chloroquine-sensitive strain 3D7 of Plasmodium falciparum. The title compounds were prepared via PdCl2-mediated endo-dig cyclization of 2-aryl-8-(arylethynyl)-6-bromo-2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones. The latter were prepared, in turn, via initial Sonogashira cross-coupling of 2-amino-5-bromo-3-iodobenzamide with aryl acetylenes followed by boric acid-mediated cyclocondensation of the intermediate 2-amino-3-(arylethynyl)-5-bromobenzamides with benzaldehyde derivatives. The 2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinazolin-1-ones 4a–k were evaluated for potential in vitro cytotoxicity against the breast (MCF-7), melanoma (B16) and endothelioma (sEnd.2) cell lines. All of the compounds except 4h and 4i were found to be inactive against the three cancer cell lines. Compound 4h substituted with a 4-methoxyphenyl and 4-fluorophenyl groups at the 3- and 5-positions was found to exhibit significant cytotoxicity against the three cancer cell lines. The presence of phenyl and 3-chlorophenyl groups at the 3- and 5-posiitons of the pyrroloquinazolinone 4i, on the other hand, resulted in significant cytotoxicity against vascular tumour endothelial cells (sEnd.2), but reduced activity against the melanoma (B16) and breast cancer (MCF-7) cells except at higher concentrations. The 2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinazolin-1-ones 4a–l were found to be inactive against the chloroquine sensitive 3D7 strain of Plasmodium falciparum.

Amination of the 2-aryl-6-bromo-4-chloro-8-iodoquinazolines with 2-aminoethanol followed by acid-promoted cyclodehydration of the incipient 2-((6,8-dihalo-2-phenylquinazolin-4-yl)amino)ethanols afforded the corresponding novel 5-aryl-9-bromo-7-iodo-2,3-dihydro-2H-imidazo[1,2-c]quinazolines. The latter were, in turn, subjected to sequential (Sonogashira and Suzuki-Miyaura) and one-pot two-step (Sonogashira/Stille) cross-coupling reactions to afford diversely functionalized polycarbo-substituted 2H-imidazo[1,2-c]quinazolines. The imidazoquinazolines were screened for in vitro cytotoxicity against human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cells and human cervical cancer (HeLa) cells.