Synthesis of gem-difluorinated 1,6-naphthyridine-5,7-diones

A synthetic route toward new 8,8-difluoro-1,6-naphthyridine-5,7-diones, which are of interest as new building blocks in pharmaceutical chemistry, is described. The key steps include a copper-mediated cross-coupling of ethyl bromodifluoroacetate and 2-bromo-3-cyanopyridine, followed by hydrolysis of the nitrile function and subsequent cyclization.