Cycloaromatization Reaction of 4‐Alkoxy‐1,1,1‐trifluoroalk‐3‐en‐2‐ones with 2,6‐Diaminotoluene: The Unexpected Regioselective Synthesis of 2,4,7,8‐Tetrasubstituted Quinolines

This article reports a convenient and general method for the regioselective synthesis of a new series of 2‐alkyl(aryl)‐8‐methyl‐4‐trifluoromethyl‐7‐aminoquinolines in 86–93% yields, from cycloaromatization reactions of N ‐(oxotrifluoroalkenyl)‐2,6‐diaminotoluenes in a strongly acidic medium polyphosphoric acid and absence of solvent. The enaminoketone intermediates were easily isolated from the reaction of 4‐alkoxy‐4‐alkyl(aryl)‐1,1,1‐trifluoroalk‐3‐en‐2‐ones [CF 3 C(O)CH═C(R)OR 1 , where R = H, Me, Ph, 4‐FPh, 4‐BrPh, 4‐MePh, and R 1  = Me, Et] with 2,6‐diaminotoluene (2,6‐DAT) in methanol under mild conditions, in 46–70% yields. Another synthetic route also allowed the regioselective synthesis of 2‐aryl(heteroaryl)‐4‐methyl‐4‐trifluoromethyl‐7‐aminoquinolines from direct cyclocondensation reactions of 4‐alkoxy‐4‐aryl(heteroaryl)‐1,1,1‐trifluoroalk‐3‐en‐2‐ones with 2,6‐diaminotoluene in methanol under mild conditions, in 21–36% yields.