Copper-Catalyzed Domino Three-Component Approach for the Assembly of 2-Aminated Benzimidazoles and Quinazolines.

A copper-promoted three-component synthesis of 2-aminobenzimidazoles (1) or of 2-aminoquinazolines (2) involving cyanamides, arylboronic acids, and amines has been developed. The operationally simple oxidative process, performed in the presence of K2CO3, a catalytic amount of CuCl2·2H2O, 2,2'-bipyridine, and an O2 atmosphere (1 atm), allows the rapid assembly of either benzimidazoles or quinazolines starting from aryl- or benzyl-substituted cyanamides, respectively. In this process, the copper promotes the formation of three bonds, two C-N bonds, and an additional bond resulting from C-H functionalization event.