AN EFFICIENT GENERAL-ROUTE TO FURO-[D][2]BENZAZEPINES, PYRIDO-[D][2]BENZAZEPINES AND THIENO-[D][2]BENZAZEPINES VIA PD-0 CATALYZED CROSS-COUPLING REACTIONS AND NITRILE YLIDE CYCLIZATIONS

The cyclisation of diene-conjugated nitrile ylides of the general type 1, in which the conjugated system consists of a benzene ring and a five- or a six-membered heterocyclic ring, provides an effective route to fully unsaturated heterocyclo[d][2]benzazepines. The combination of this cyclisation with a direct route to the nitrile ylide precursors via Pd-0 catalysed cross-coupling gives an efficient general synthetic route to these systems from readily available starting materials.