Copper-Catalyzed Synthesis of Pyrrolo[1,2-c]quinazolines and Pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines and Antiplasmodial Evaluation

Reactions involving C(sp3)-H bonds of azaarenes have been widely studied in recent years as they allow direct functionalization of these N-heterocycles without the use of harsh reaction conditions. In this work, we describe the C(sp3)-H functionalization of 4-methylquinazolines and 1-benzylisoquinolines, employing α-substituted β-nitrostyrenes catalyzed by inexpensive copper acetate. Under the optimized condition, 21 pyrrolo[1,2-c]quinazolines, as well as an imidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline and 4 pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines, were obtained in moderate to good yields. Furthermore, the biological activity of the pyrrolo[1,2-c]quinazolines was evaluated against Plasmodium falciparum, and promising results were obtained.