A convenient synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted isoquinolines by reactions of α-substituted 2-lithio-β-methoxystyrenes with nitriles

It has been found that halogen-lithium exchange between alpha-substituted 2-bromo-beta-methoxystyrene derivatives and n-butyllithium generates alpha-substituted 2-lithio-beta-methoxystyrene derivatives, which successfully react with a range of nitriles to afford the corresponding 1,4-disubstituted isoquinolines in reasonable yields.