Copper-catalyzed synthesis of quinazolines in water starting from o-bromobenzylbromides and benzamidines.

Water makes it possible: The Cu(2)O-catalyzed reaction between easily available o-bromobenzylbromides and benzamidines by using Cs(2)CO(3) as the base and N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine (DMEDA) as the additive in water as the solvent gives access to substituted quinazolines in a single step with yields ranging from 57 to 85 % (see scheme).