Regioselective, Molecular Iodine-Mediated C3 Iodination of Quinolines

A novel and convenient method has been developed for the regioselective iodination of quinolines at their C3 position under metal-free conditions. Iodinated quinolines, which are popular building blocks in organic and medicinal chemistry, can be prepared in gram quantities and good yields using this method and further derivatized to give increasingly complex compounds. Preliminary mechanistic studies have shown that this reaction most likely occurs via a radical intermediate.