The copper(I) iodide accelerated synthesis of mono- and bisbenzyl substituted 1- and 2-aminoanthraquinones

A series of novel, monobenzyl substituted, 1-aminoanthraquinones, monobenzyl substituted 2-aminoanthraquinones and bisbenzyl substituted 2-aminoanthraquinones were synthesized via the benzylation of 1-/2-aminoanthraquinone, respectively. The benzyl substituted aminoanthraquinone derivatives were characterized by NMR, IR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry; their electrochemical properties were investigated using cyclic voltammogram and their spectrochemical properties were determined using UV–vis spectroscopy in dichloromethane. Copper(I) iodide, in conjunction with 1,10-phenanthroline as ligand, accelerates the reaction rate and enhances reaction yields by ∼30%. The benzyl substituted aminoanthraquinone derivatives are redox active and potentially useful as electrochromic materials as well as for biological and pharmaceutical studies.