Synthesis of 2-Arylquinolines from 2-Iodoanilines and β-Chloropropiophenones via Palladium-Catalyzed Cascade Reaction

A protocol to access 2-aryl-substituted quinolines from readily available 2-iodoanilines and β-chloropropiophenones, which are synthetic equivalents of acrylophenones, has been developed via the palladium-catalyzed cascade reaction. Various 2-iodoanilines and β-chloropropiophenones were applicable to this protocol to afford the desired quinoline products in good to high yields. Moreover, we demonstrated the usefulness of this protocol in direct synthesis of chloride-bridged dimeric iridium complexes, one of the key intermediates in the synthesis of iridium-based phosphorous materials, without the complete isolation of the quinolines.