A solution of N-(2-ethoxy-3-trifluoromethoxybenzyl)-N-methylacrylamide (0.447 g, 1.47 mmol) in propionitrile (5 mL) and DMF (1 mL) was deoxygenated with Ar for 20 min and then treated with diisopropylethylamine (0.40 mL, 2.3 mmol) and 7-bromo-3,3-dimethyl-1,3,4,5-tetrahydro-pyrido[2,3-e][1,4]diazepin-2-one (0.300 g, 1.11 mmol). The solution was deoxygenated with Ar for 20 minutes. Pd(OAc)2 (0.024 g, 0.111 mmol) and P(o-tol)3 (0.067 g, 0.222 mmol) were added and the solution deoxygenated with Ar for 20 min. The mixture was heated to reflux for 18 h then, allowed to cool. The mixture was diluted with EtOAc (30 mL) and was washed with H2O (3×50 mL) and brine (2×50 mL), dried (Na2SO4) and concentrated to a yellow-orange solid. Purification by column chromatography (silica gel, CH2Cl2/MeOH, 100 to 98:2) gave the title compound (0.25 g, 31%) as an off-white solid and as a mixture of amide rotamers: 1H NMR (300 MHz, DMSO-d6) δ 9.80-9.78 (m, 1H), 8.40-8.37 (m, 1H), 8.01-7.93 (m, 1H), 7.56-7.49 (m, 1H), 7.36-7.09 (m, 4H), 4.87-4.68 (m, 2H), 4.06-3.83 (m, 4H), 3.31-2.88 (m, 4H), 1.36-1.29 (m, 9H).
