One-pot solvent-free synthesis of triaryl- and triheteroarylmethanes by Bi(OTf)3-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts reaction of arenes/heteroarenes with trialkyl orthoformates

A convenient, practical and highly efficient one-pot method has been developed for the synthesis of triaryl- and triheteroarylmethane derivatives by Bi(OTf)₃-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts alkylation of trialkyl orthoformates in combination with a wide variety of arenes/heteroarenes at room temperature under solvent-free conditions and in an air atmosphere. The methodology offers an operational simplicity, high atom economy and environmentally benign procedure. Furthermore, selected compound 3k showed promising anti-inflammatory activity with inhibition nitric oxide and did not exhibit significant cytotoxic effects on macrophage cells.     

Electrophilic aromatic addition reaction: electrophilic attack at an aromatic H substituent position

[reaction: see text] We report and propose a mechanism for an unusual electrophilic aromatic addition reaction (Ad(E)()Ar). During our preparation of 5,7-dibromo-8-methoxyquinaldine as a key intermediate in the synthesis of 7-bromoquinaldine-5,8-dione, direct bromination in either acidic or neutral conditions led only to the formation of 5-bromo-8-methoxyquinaldine. Under basic methanolic conditions, however, we unexpectedly obtained the 5,7-dibromo-8,8-dimethoxy-7,8-dihydroquinaldine adduct 2a. This result not only allows for the functionalization of aromatic compounds via the addition adducts, but also introduces the possibility of an alternate mechanism for electrophilic substitution reactions.