2-Chloroisoquinoline → 2-Phenylisoquinoline

Participants

Reaction Steps

A solution of phenylmagnesium bromide (1M in THF, 3.6 mL, 3.6 mmol) is added to a solution of 2-chloro-isoquinoline (258 mg, 1.57 mmol)) and Fe(acac)3 (28 mg, 0.078 mmol) in THF (10 mL) at −30° C. After stirring for 50 min at that temperature, the reaction is quenched with brine, the aqueous layer is extracted with Et2O, the combined organic phases are dried over Na2SO4 and evaporated, and the residue is purified by flash chromatography (hexane/ethyl acetate, 10:1). After eluting a first fraction containing biphenyl (60 mg), one obtains 2-phenyl-isoquinoline as a colorless solid (184 mg, 57%). 1H NMR (300 MHz, CD2Cl2) δ 8.60 (d, 1H), 8.11 (d, 1H), 7.91 (d, 1H), 7.66–7.72 (m, 4H), 7.48–7.57 (m, 4H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CD2Cl2) δ 160.9, 142.6, 140.1, 137.2, 130.3, 130.2, 128.8, 128.5, 127.7, 127.5, 127.3, 127.0, 120.1.

Provenance & Evidence