A general synthesis of N-substituted 1,4-benzoxazine- and 1,4-benzothiazine-2-carboxylates via copper-catalyzed intramolecular amination of arylbromides

Starting from ortho-bromosubstituted phenoxyacetates or (phenythio)acetates and primary amines, various N-substituted 4H-1,4-benzoxazine- and 4H-1,4-benzothiazine-2-carboxylates were synthesized in moderate to high yields by using a Cu(I)-catalyzed Ullmann-type cyclization as a key step. The method is simple to operate, tolerates many functional groups and does not require any additives.