A suspension of 6-(ethyloxy)-7-nitro-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline (5.0 g, 22.50 mmol) and potassium carbonate (6.22 g, 45.0 mmol) in dichloromethane (100 mL) was treated with bromoacetylchloride (2.336 mL, 28.1 mmol) and stirred for 25 minutes. Water was added and the organic layer was dried over sodium sulfate, filtered, taken to a residue under reduced pressure, redissolved in THF, and 2.0M dimethyl amine in THF (67.5 mL, 135 mmol) was added. The solution was stirred overnight, diluted with saturated sodium bicarbonate, and the organic layer was dried over sodium sulfate, filtered, taken to a residue under reduced pressure, and purified by column chromatography to afford {2-[6-(ethyloxy)-7-nitro-3,4-dihydro-1(2H)-quinolinyl]-2-oxoethyl}dimethylamine (5.8 g, 84% yield) as a pale yellow oil. 1H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d6) δ ppm 8.34 (s, 1 H), 7.16 (s, 1 H), 4.17 (q, J=6.96 Hz, 2 H), 3.74 (t, J=5.62 Hz, 2 H), 3.21 (s, 2 H), 2.80 (t, J=6.32 Hz, 2 H), 2.21 (s, 6 H), 1.76-2.01 (m, 2 H), 1.33 (t, J=6.92 Hz, 3 H).
