Direct cross-dehydrogenative coupling reactions of imidazopyridines and 1-naphthylamines with ethers under metal-free conditions

Abstract

Convenient, efficient metal-free direct cross-dehydrogenative coupling reactions of imidazopyridines and 1-naphthylamines with ethers were developed. This procedure provided a wide range of valuable, structurally diverse 3-alkyl-imidazopyridine and 4-alkyl-1-naphthylamine derivatives in moderate-to-good yields and with good functional group tolerance.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Cross-dehydrogenative coupling
• ethers
• imidazopyridines
• metal-free
• 1-naphthylamines

Acknowledgments

The authors are also thankful to Pro Xiao-Di Yang, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, for her assistance with X-ray crystallography.

Additional information

Funding

Financial support from China Scholarship Council [No. 201908410270], the Science and Technology Foundation of Henan Province [No. 182102210091] and the Project of Youth Backbone Teachers of Henan University of Technology is greatly appreciated.