A 10-mL microwave vial was charged with 4-chloro-2-(3-chlorophenyl)-6,7-dihydro-5H-cyclopenta[b]pyridine hydrochloride (0.100 g, 0.33 mmol), 4-(4-aminophenyl)butanamide (0.071 g, 0.40 mmol) and conc. HCl (2 drops) in NMP (3 mL). The resulting mixture was heated at 120° C. under microwave irradiation for 2 h. The reaction mixture was cooled, diluted with water (5 mL) then treated with 2M aqueous sodium hydroxide until pH˜8 affording a solid. The solid was isolated by filtration and purified by chromatography on silica using dichloromethane/methanol (10:0 to 19:1) as eluent followed by chromatography on silica using hexanes/ethyl acetate (10:0 to 0:10) as eluent to afford 4-(4-((2-(3-chlorophenyl)-6,7-dihydro-5H-cyclopenta[b]pyridin-4-yl)amino)phenyl)butanamide (0.050 g, 37%) as a white solid. MW=405.92. 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 500 MHz) δ 8.07 (s, 1H), 7.91 (t, J=2.0 Hz, 1H), 7.74 (dt, J=7.5, 1.5 Hz, 1H), 7.46-7.38 (m, 2H), 7.25 (br s, 1H), 7.22-7.15 (m, 5H), 6.71 (br s, 1H), 2.91 (t, J=7.5 Hz, 2H), 2.82 (t, J=7.5 Hz, 2H), 2.55 (t, J=7.5 Hz, 2H), 2.08 (quin, J=7.5 Hz, 4H), 1.79 (quin, J=7.5 Hz, 2H); ESI MS m/z 406 [M+H]+. Treatment with 1.25M HCl in methanol afforded the title compound (0.053 g, 99%) as an off-white solid. MW=442.38. M.p. 108-111° C. 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 500 MHz) δ 11.91 (br s, 1H), 8.84 (br s, 1H), 7.91-7.88 (m, 1H), 7.74-7.69 (m, 1H), 7.54-7.47 (m, 2H), 7.27-7.22 (m, 5H), 7.11 (br s, 1H), 6.72 (br s, 1H), 3.01 (t, J=7.5 Hz, 2H), 2.86 (t, J=7.5 Hz, 2H), 2.57 (t, J=7.5 Hz, 2H), 2.15 (quin, J=7.5 Hz, 2H), 2.09 (t, J=7.5 Hz, 2H), 1.80 (quin, J=7.5 Hz, 2H); ESI MS m/z 406 [M+H]+.
