A simple and expedient method for the synthesis of ethyl 3‐amino‐4,6‐diarylthieno[2,3‐ b ]pyridine‐2‐carboxylate

2‐Chloro‐4,6‐diarylnicotinonitrile 1 was reacted with ethyl 2‐mercaptoacetate 2 to furnish ethyl 2‐(3‐cyano‐4,6‐diarylpyridin‐2‐ylthio)acetate 3 as intermediates. These intermediates were cyclized by Thorpe–Zeigler cyclization using solid–liquid phase‐transfer catalysis conditions to give ethyl 3‐amino‐4,6‐diarylthieno[2,3‐ b ]pyridine‐2‐carboxylate 4 . One‐pot heterocyclization without isolating the intermediates was also achieved using solid–liquid phase transfer conditions. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2009).