Example 1

2-Methyl-2-[4-(3-methyl-2-oxo-8-quinolin-3-yl-2,3-dihydro-imidazo[4,5-c]quinolin-1-yl)- phenyl]-propionitrile

In a suitable lab glass reactor are placed 45.0 g of starting 2[4-(8-bromo-3-methyl-2-oxo-2,3- dihydro-imidazo[4,5-c]quinolin-1-yl)-phenyl]2-methyl-propionitrile together with 2.25 g of bistriphenylphosphine’palladium dichloride in 445 ml N,N-dimethylformamide. This mixture is heated to 95 ⁰C and then a solution of 22.2 g of 3-quinoline boronic acid in a mixture of 225 ml DMF, 300 ml H₂O and 60 g of KHCO₃ is added. This mixture is heated for 2 h at 95 ⁰C. Then 1080 ml H₂O are added. The product 2-methyl-2-[4-(3-methyl-2-oxo-8-quinolin-3-yl- 2,3-dihydro-imidazo[4,5-c]quinolin-1-yl)-phenyl]propionitrile precipitates. The mixture is cooled within 1.5 h to 0 – 5 °C. After stirring at that temperature for 2 h the crude product is filtered and washed with 300 ml H₂O. This product is dried in vacuo at 60 ⁰C for 18 h, to yield crude product.

40 g of this crude product is dissolved in 200 ml formic acid at 60 ⁰C. 8 g of active charcoal and Smopex 234 are added. The mixture is stirred at 60 ⁰C for 1 h, the charcoal is filtered, the residue washed with 80 ml formic acid and then 175 ml formic acid are distilled off in vacuo. Then 320 ml methanol are added and the mixture is heated at reflux for 3 h. The purified product precipitates from the reaction mixture. The mixture is cooled to 0 – 5 ⁰C within 1 h, then stirred 2 h at that temperature is finally filtered and washed with 80 ml cold methanol. This recrystallisation procedure is repeated again. Finally the twice recrystallised material is dried in vacuo at 60 ⁰C to yield purified 2-Methyl-2-[4-(3-methyl-2-oxo-8-quinolin- 3-yl-2,3-dihydro-imidazo[4,5-c]quinolin-1-yl)-phenyl]propionitrile.

Example 1a 5-Bromo-2-(2-nitro-vinylamino)-benzoic acid

A suspension of 25 g (16 mmol) of 2-amino-5-bromo-benzoic acid (Fluka, Buchs, Switzerland) in H₂O-HCI (37%) (10:1) is stirred for 8 h and then filtered (solution A). 8.17 g (255 mmol) of nitromethane (Fluka, Buchs, Switzerland) are added over 10 min to an ice- bath cooled mixture of 35 g of ice and 15.3 g (382 mmol) of NaOH. After stirring for 1 h at 0 ⁰C and 1 h at rt, the solution is added at 0 ⁰C to 28 g of ice and 42 ml of HCI (37%) (solution B). Solutions A and B are combined and the reaction mixture is stirred for 18 h at rt. The yellow precipitate is filtered off, washed with H₂O and dried in vacuo at 40⁰C to give the title compound. ES-MS: 287, 289 (M + H)⁺, Br pattern; ¹H NMR (DMSO-d₆): δ 13.7-14.6/br s (1 H), 12.94/d (1 H), 8.07/d (1 H), 8.03/dd (1 H), 7.83/dd (1 H), 7.71/d (1 H), 6.76/d (1 H).

Example 1b 6-Bromo-3-nitro-quinolin-4-ol

29 g (101 mmol) of 5-bromo-2-(2-nitro-vinylamino)-benzoic acid (Example 1a) and 11.9 g (121 mmol) of potassium acetate in 129 ml (152 mmol) of acetic anhydride are stirred for 1.5 h at 120 ⁰C. The precipitate is filtered off and washed with acetic acid until the filtrate is colorless, then is washed with H₂O and dried in vacuo to give the title compound. ES-MS: 269, 271 (M + H)⁺, Br pattern; analytical HPLC: W= 2.70 min (Grad 1).

Example 1c 6-Bromo-4-chloro-3-nitro-quinoline

20 g (74.3 mmol) of 6-bromo-3-nitro-quinolin-4-ol (Example 1b) in 150 ml (1.63 mol) of POCI₃ are stirred for 45 min at 120 °C. The mixture is cooled to rt and poured slowly into ice- water. The precipitate is filtered off, washed with ice-cold water, and dissolved in CH₂CI₂. The organic phase is washed with cold brine, and the aqueous phase is discarded. After drying over MgSO₄, the organic solvent is evaporated to dryness to provide the title compound. ¹H NMR (CDCI₃): J9.20/S (1H), 8.54/d (1H), 8.04/d (1H), 7.96/dd (1H); analytical HPLC: W= 4.32 min (Grad 1).

Example 1d 2-Methyl-2-(4-nitro-phenyl)-propionitrile

O .

To 15 g (92.5 mmol) of (4-nitro-phenyl)-acetonitrile (Fluka, Buchs, Switzerland), 1.64 mg (5.09 mmol) of tetrabutylammonium bromide (Fluka, Buchs, Switzerland) and 43.3 g (305 mmol) of iodomethane in 125 mL of CH₂CI₂ are added 1O g (250 mmol) of NaOH in 125 ml of water. The reaction mixture is stirred for 20 h at RT. After this time, the organic layer is separated, dried over MgSO₄, and evaporated to dryness. The residue is dissolved in diethylether and treated with black charcoal for 30 min, filtered over Celite and evaporated in vacuo to give the title compound as a pale yellow solid. Analytical HPLC: t_ret= 3.60 minutes (Grad 1).Example 1e (2-(4-Amino-phenyl)-2-methyl-propionitrile

16 g (84.1 mmol) of 2-methyl-2-(4-nitro-phenyl)-propionitrile (Example 1d) and 4.16 g of Raney-Ni are shacked in 160 ml of THF-MeOH (1:1) under 1.1 bar of H₂ for 12 h at rt. After completion of the reaction, the catalyst is filtered-off and the filtrate is evaporated to dryness. The residue is purified by flash chromatography on silica gel (hexane-EtOAc 3:1 to 1:2) to provide the title compound as an oil. ES-MS: 161 (M + H)⁺; analytical HPLC: t_ret= 2.13 minutes (Grad 1).

Example 1f 2-[4-(6-Bromo-3-nitro-quinolin-4-ylamino)-phenyl]-2-methyl-propionitrile

18 g (62.6 mmol) of 6-bromo-4-chloro-3-nitro-quinoline (Example 1c) and 11 g (68.9 mmol) of (2-(4-amino-phenyl)-2-methyl-propionitrile (Example 1e) are dissolved in 350 ml of acetic acid and stirred for 2 h. After this time, water is added and the yellow precipitate is filtered off and washed with H₂O. The solid is dissolved in EtOAc-THF (1 :1), washed with sat. aqueous NaHCO₃ and dried over MgSO₄. The organic phase is evaporated to dryness to give the title compound as a yellow solid. ES-MS: 411 , 413 (M + H)⁺, Br pattern; analytical HPLC: t_ret= 3.69 min (Grad 1).

Example 1q 2-[4-(3-Amino-6-bromo-quinolin-4-ylamino)-phenyl]-2-methyl-propionitrile

24 g (58.4 mmol) of 2-[4-(6-bromo-3-nitro-quinolin-4-ylamino)-phenyl]-2-methyl-propionitrile (Example 1e) is shacked in 300 ml of MeOH-THF (1:1) under 1.1 bar of H₂ in the presence of 8.35 g of Raney-Ni for 1 h. After completion of the reaction, the catalyst is filtered off and the filtrate is evaporated to dryness to give the title compound as a yellow foam. ES-MS: 381 , 383 (M + H)⁺, Br pattern; analytical HPLC: W= 3.21 min (Grad 1).

Example 1h

2-[4-(8-Bromo-2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-imidazo[4,5-c]quinolin-1-yl)-phenyl]-2-methyl- propionitrile

A solution of 5 g (13.1 mmol) of 2-[4-(3-amino-6-bromo-quinolin-4-ylamino)-phenyl]-2- methyl-propionitrile (Example 1g) and 1.59 g (15.7 mmol) of triethylamine in 120 ml CH₂CI₂ is added over 40 min to a solution of 2.85 g (14.4 mmol) of trichloromethyl chloroformate (Fluka, Buchs, Switzerland) in 80 ml of CH₂CI₂ at 0⁰C with an ice-bath. The reaction mixture is stirred for 20 min at this temperature then is quenched with sat. aqueous NaHCO₃, stirred for 5 min and extracted with CH₂CI₂. The organic layer is dried over Na₂SO₄, filtered and evaporated in vacuo to give crude title compound as a brownish solid. ES-MS: 407, 409 (M + H)⁺, Br pattern; analytical HPLC: t_ret= 3.05 min (Grad 1). Example 1i

2-[4-(8-Bromo-3-methyl-2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-imidazo[4,5-c]quinolin-1-yl)-phenyl]-2- methyl-propionitrile

To a solution of 3.45 g (8.47 mmol) of 2-[4-(8-bromo-2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-imidazo[4,5- c]quinolin-1-yl)-phenyl]-2-methyl-propionitrile (Example 1h), 1.8 g (12.7 mmol) of iodomethane (Fluka, Buchs, Switzerland) and 273 mg (0.847 mmol) of tetrabutylammonium bromide (Fluka, Buchs, Switzerland) in 170 ml of CH₂CI₂ is added a solution of 508 mg (12.7 mmol) of NaOH (Fluka, Buchs, Switzerland) in 85 ml of H₂O. The reaction mixture is stirred for 2 days and 900 mg (6.35 mmol) of iodomethane and 254 mg (6.35 mmol) of NaOH in 5 ml of H₂O are added. The reaction mixture is stirred for 1 day at rt . After this time, the reaction is quenched with H₂O and extracted with CH₂CI₂ (2*). The organic layer is washed with brine, dried over Na₂SO₄, filtered and evaporated in vacuo to give the title compound as a beige solid. ES-MS: 421 , 423 (M + H)⁺, Br pattern; analytical HPLC: t_ret= 3.15 min (Grad 1).

Example 2

2-Methyl-2-[4-(3-methyl-2-oxo-8-quinolin-3-yl-2,3-dihydro-imidazo[4,5-c]quinolin-1-yl)- phenyl]propionitrile p-toluenesulfonate salt

26.5 g of 2-Methyl-2-[4-(3-methyl-2-oxo-8-quinolin-3-yl-2,3-dihydro-imidazo[4,5-c]quinolin-1- yl)-phenyl]propionitrile are placed together with 55 ml formic acid into a glass reactor. This mixture is heated to 60 ⁰C to get a clear solution. This solution is clearfiltered and washed with 36 ml formic acid. Then formic acid is distilled off until the volume of the residual solution is 55 ml. Then a solution of 11.3 g of p-toluenesulfonic acid in 228 ml acetone is added at 50 ⁰C, followed by further addition of 822 ml acetone within 30 minutes. The salt precipitates from the reaction mixture. The mixture is cooled to 0 ⁰C within 2 h, stirred at that temperature for 3 h, is then filtered and washed with 84 ml acetone. The product^‘ is dried at 60 ⁰C in vacuo for 18 h to yield 29.8 g (82.4 %) of the 2-Methyl-2-[4-(3-methyl-2-oxo-8- quinolin-3-yl-2,3-dihydro-imidazo[4,5-c]quinolin-1-yl)-phenyl]propionitrile p-toluenesulfonate salt (crystalline form A). The crystalline forms of the present invention are synthesized in accordance with the following examples which are illustrative without limiting the scope of the present invention.

Example 3:

Preparation of form A of 2-methyl-2-[4-(3-methyl-2-oxo-8-quinolin-3-yl-2,3-dihydro- imidazo[4,5-c]quinolin-1-yl)-phenyl]-propionitrile

Form A of compound I can be manufactured in the following way: 241 g of free base are dissolved 2.4 I acetic acid at 50 ⁰C. The solution is clearfiltered, washed with 250 ml acetic acid and then at 50 ⁰C 7.2 I of water are added. The free base starts precipitating. The mixture is cooled within 1 h to 25 ⁰C, is then filtered and washed with 10 I H₂O. The free base is then dried in vacuo at 50 ⁰C over night to yield 204 g of free base.