Synthesis of novel pyridine and pyrimidine derivatives as potential inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase using palladium-catalysed C-N cross-coupling and nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions

Palladium-mediated cross-coupling reactions are used in the successful construction of a small library of flexible heteroatom-linked diarylpyridine target compounds, including pyridines bearing a secondary amide substituent. Heteroatom-linked diarylpyrimidine derivatives bearing a chlorine substituent are prepared by base-catalysed nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions without the need for palladium catalysis. [GRAPHICS] .