Copper-catalyzed C(sp)-H aryl amination enables modular synthesis of quinolines and 2-quinolinones

Herein,we disclose a novel copper-catalyzed C(sp)-H aryl amination of terminal alkynes with anthranils,enabling the rapid generation of highly reactive secondary N-aryl ynamines for the modular synthesis of structurally diverse C2-substituted quinolines and 2-quinolinones.The in-situ formed carbonyl-ynamines are prone to tautomerize to carbonyl-ketenimines,which can efficiently react with a series of nucleophiles,including amines,alcohols,phenols,thiols,thiophenols,active-methylene compounds,and even water to produce various quinoline derivatives with the generation of H_(2)O as a sole and green byproduct.This method also unlocks a practical route to create various quinoline-fused heterocycles and can be successfully applied to the late-stage modification of complex molecules and the concise synthesis of bioactive targets.Mechanistic studies reveal a coppercatalyzed inner-sphere nitrene transfer process by using anthranils as novel aryl nitrene precursors.