Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of 2-aryl-6,8-dibromo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolin-4-ones and subsequent dehydrogenation and oxidative aromatization of the resulting 2,6,8-triaryl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolin-4-ones

Dichlorobis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II)/tricyclohexylphosphine-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of the 2-aryl-6,8-dibromo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolin-4-ones with arylboronic acids afforded the corresponding 2,6,8-triaryl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolin-4-ones, exclusively. The latter was subjected to thallium(III) p-tolylsulfonate (TTS) in dimethoxyethane under reflux or to molecular iodine in methanol at reflux to afford the 2,6,8-triarylquinolin-4-(1H)-ones and 2,6,8-triaryl-4-methoxyquinoline derivatives, respectively.