An unusual arylation of 4-oxo-3,4-dihydropyrimido[4,5-b]quinoline

Treatment of 4-oxo-3,4-dihydropyrimido[4,5-6 ]quinoline (II) with phosphorus oxychloride and a dialkylaniline resulted in the introduction of a p-dialkylaminophenyl group at position-5, and reduction of the central (pyridine) ring, as well as substitution of oxygen by chlorine at po-sition-4, forming compounds considered to be 4-chloro-5-(p-dialkylaminophenyl)-5, 10-dihydro-pyrimido[4,5-6 ]quinolines (XV). Several 4-oxo-3,4-dihydropyrimido[4,5-b ]quinolines having phenyl substituents at position-5 were synthesized unequivocally, and could be readily reduced to the corresponding 4-oxo-5-phenyl-3,4,5,10-tetrahydropyrimido[4,5-6]quinolines, and the 4-oxo group replaced by chlorine, in the usual manner, leading to compounds related structurally to XV. Comparison of the chemical and physical properties of these compounds established the structure of XV, and a mechanism which rationalizes the formation of XV from II is presented.