Direct arylation of simple azoles catalyzed by 1,10-phenanthroline containing palladium complexes: an investigation of C4 arylation of azoles and the synthesis of triarylated azoles by sequential arylation.

Direct triarylation and sequential triarylation reactions of simple azoles catalyzed by [Pd(phen)(2)]PF(6) are described. Simple azoles, such as N-methylimidazole, thiazole, and oxazole, were observed to undergo triaryaltion reactions even at their C4 positions when treated with aryl iodides in the presence of [Pd(phen)(2)]PF(6) as a catalyst and a stoichiometric amount of Cs(2)CO(3) in DMA at 150 °C. Using excess amounts of azoles, selective C5 monoarylation was achieved by using the same catalytic system. Subsequent efforts demonstrated that C5 arylated azoles undergo exclusive C2 arylation using [Pd(phen)(2)]PF(6) as the catalyst with galvinoxyl as an additive. Finally, unprecedented C4 arylation reactions of 2,5-diaryl-azoles occur by using the new catalytic system to give the corresponding triarylated products in good to excellent yields. The results of mechanistic studies suggest that the C2 arylation process takes place by way of an electrophilic aromatic substitution (S(E)Ar) palladation pathway, while arylation reactions at the C4 position occur via a S(E)Ar palladation and/or radical mechanism. Finally, a concise, three-step synthesis of the Tie-2 Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor has been executed starting with commercially available N-methylimidazole by a route that employs the new sequential arylation process.