Copper catalyzed direct aerobic double-oxidative cross-dehydrogenative coupling of imidazoheterocycles with aryl acetaldehydes: an articulate approach for dicarbonylation at C-3 position

Abstract

Direct aerobic oxidative cross-dehydrogenative coupling of aryl acetaldehydes at C-3 position of imidazoheterocycles via copper catalyzed reaction resulted in the synthesis of dicarbonylated imidazoheterocycles in 55–85% yields. The methodology provides a straightforward, high yielding and one-pot approach towards the synthesis of C-3 dicarbonylated imidazoheterocycles without prior activation of C(sp2)-H or a base. This also reports the first method of coupling of aryl acetaldehydes on imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine system via double-oxidative cross-dehydogenative process.