Facile synthesis of 2-anilinonicotinic acids via Cu–Mg–Al LDO catalysed amination of 2-chloronicotinic acid

Abstract

2-Anilinonicotinic acid derivatives represent an important class of heterocyclic compounds with diverse pharmacological activities. Conventional synthetic routes typically involve nucleophilic substitution of 2-chloronicotinic acid with aniline derivatives in the presence of organic bases and hazardous solvents. The present study reports the Cu–Mg–Al layered double oxide (LDO)-mediated synthesis of 2-anilinonicotinic acid derivatives under mild reaction conditions. High product yields (up to 92%) were obtained at 80 °C in ethanol within a short reaction time. The catalyst demonstrated excellent performance for five consecutive cycles. The versatility of the catalyst was explored using various substituted aniline derivatives. The Cu–Mg–Al LDO catalyst was found to be an efficient and scalable catalyst for the production of biologically important heterocycles.