Regioselective C-H bond functionalizations of acridines using organozinc reagents.

Despite the recent advance in C-H bond functionalization chemistry, the C-H bonds in the acridine ring system, which is an important scaffold in medicinal and material science, have met with limited success, due, in part, to the lack of activated C-H bonds adjacent to the ring nitrogen atom. Herein, several protocols that can effect the regioselective arylation and alkylation of acridines at the C-4 and C-9 positions are described. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012