Efficient synthesis of a trisubstituted 1,6-naphthyridone from acetonedicarboxylate and regioselective Suzuki arylation

[reaction: see text] An efficient five-step synthesis of 1,6-naphthyridone 3b, a p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase inhibitor intermediate, in 32% overall yield starting from acetonedicarboxylate (ADC) is described. The synthesis began with a selective monoamidation of ADC dimethyl ester enolate 9. A novel concomitant enamine formation and an imide cyclization afforded the nitrogen differentially protected enamide imide 12. Treatment of 12 with KO(t)Bu and 3-ethoxyacrylate produced lactam 15 quantitatively, which was converted to tetrachloronaphthyridone 19 via a one-pot p-methoxybenzyl (PMB) deprotection and bischlorination. A highly regioselective Pd(OAc)2/IMes-catalyzed Suzuki coupling completed the synthesis.