Synthesis of Tetracyclic Fused Quinolines via a Friedel–Crafts and Beckmann Ring Expansion Sequence

Abstract

An efficient protocol for the construction of tetracyclic fused quinolines (pyrazole-fused azepino-, azocino-, and azonino[3,2-b]quinolinones) via consecutive Friedel–Crafts and Beckmann reactions has been developed. The key steps in the syntheses of these new molecular scaffolds involve acid-mediated cyclization of 2-(pyrazol-3-yl)quinoline based carboxylic acids 6a–c, 8, and 12 to ketones 13a–e, followed by Beckmann rearrangements of the corresponding oximes 14a–e to provide the tetracyclic-fused quinoline skeletons 15a–e. Structures of synthesised compounds without stereochemical implication were confirmed by NMR and elemental analyses.