Reactivity of quinoline- and isoquinoline-based heteroaromatic substrates in palladium(0)-catalyzed benzylic nucleophilic substitution

[reaction: see text] Quinolylmethyl, 1-(isoquinolyl)ethyl, and 1-(quinolyl)ethyl acetates reacted with dimethylmalonate anion in the presence of a Pd(0) catalyst to give products of nucleophilic substitution and/or byproducts, depending upon the substitution pattern. The observed side reactions were reduction in the case of primary acetates and elimination or elimination/Michael-type addition sequence for secondary substrates.