The reaction of 1-dimethylamino-8-(methylamino)naphthalene with 1,3-dibromopropane chemoselectively leads to the product of N,N′-heterocyclization, while in the case of 1,4-dibromobutane and 1,2-bis(bromomethyl)benzene the process results in heterocyclization onto the same nitrogen atom with the formation of previously unknown 1-dimethylamino-8-pyrrolidino- and 1-dimethylamino-8-isoindolino-naphthalenes. The same reactions conducted without adding any auxiliary base lead to the formation of N,N′-linked double proton sponges as a new type of polynitrogen organic receptor. Proceeding as a sequence of quaternization–demethylation–cyclization steps, this heterocyclization process can also be used to construct six-membered rings (piperidino, morpholino), albeit in lower yields. The ability of 1,2-dibromoethane to brominate N-alkylated 1,8-diaminonaphthalenes is also described. It is shown for the first time that a commercially available 1,8-bis(dimethylamino)naphthalene (DMAN) can be used as a starting material in a heterocyclization reaction, which via a one-pot approach and in a short time can be converted into 1,5-dimethylnaphtho[1,8-bc]-1,5-diazacyclooctane or 1-dimethylamino-8-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)naphthalene.
1,8-Bis(bromomethyl)naphthalene in the synthesis of 1,5-diazacyclodecane and benz[de]isoquinoline proton sponges