Transition-metal-free insertion of benzyl bromides into 2-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)benzaldehyde: One-pot switchable syntheses of benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]quinolin-5(7H)-ones and 3-arylquinolin-4-ones mediated by base

A transition-metal-free insertion of benzyl group between aldehyde and imidazole of 2-(1H-benzod]imidazol-1-yl)benzaldehyde was achieved for the first time. Two diverse sets of quinolin-4-one derivatives: benzo4,5]imidazo1,2-a]quinolin-5(7H)-ones (2) and 3-arylquinolin-4-ones (3) were synthesized based on identical starting materials 2-(1H-benzod]imidazol-1-yl)benzaldehydes (1) and benzyl bromides. In the preparations, two key intermediates I and II were involved and might be synthesized in situ through the reaction of an intra-Breslow intermediate with benzyl bromide via an enol attack in the presence of base or a NHC-based enamine attack in the absence of base, respectively, in which the intra-Breslow intermediate might function as a nucleophilic reagent by following two novel different pathways.