Facile Copper‐Mediated Activation of the N—H Bond and the Oxidative Cleavage of the C2—C3 Bond in 1H‐2‐Phenyl‐3‐hydroxy‐4‐oxoquinoline.

Abstract

The reaction of 1H-2-phenyl-3-hydroxy-4-oxoquinoline (PhquinH(2); 1) with metallic copper leads to Cu(II)(PhquinH)(2) while in the presence of PPh(3) to Cu(I)(2)Cu(II)(Phquin)(2)(PPh(3))(4). In the presence of tmeda and O(2) ring cleavage occurs to give Cu(II)(tmeda)(PhquinH)(N-baa). Both reactions represent a mild N-H activation and an oxidative C-C bond scission.