文摘
By employing abundant and sustainable alcohols as the alkylating reagents, a new and direct alkylation method has been demonstrated. This method enables the selective alkylation of the less substituted pyridyl ring at the β-site of aryl-1,8-naphthyridines, affording the desired products in moderate to excellent yields upon isolation. The method proceeds under transition-metal-free conditions in an atom- and step-economic fashion and liberates water as the sole byproduct. Mechanistic investigations suggest the reaction undergoes a hydrogen-transfer-mediated alkylation mode.