Synthesis of polyaza macrocycles by palladium-catalyzed amination of 1,2-dibromobenzene and 2-bromo-1,3-dichlorobenzene

Palladium-catalyzed amination of 1,2-dibromobenzene with equimolar amounts of linear polyamines leads to the formation of polyaza macrocycles in low yields. The use of 2-bromo-1,3-dichlorobenzene as starting compound ensures considerably larger yields of the target macrocycles, and the reaction is accompanied by side formation of N-aryl- and N,N′-diaryl-substituted polyamines, as well as of cyclic oligomers. The yields strongly depend on the polyamine chain length. Reactions of excess 2-bromo-1,3-dichlorobenzene with a series of polyamines gave the corresponding N,N′-diarylpolyamines in high yields, and the latter reacted with the second polyamine molecule to form cyclic dimers. A relation between the yield of cyclic dimers and polyamine structure was revealed.