Reactivity of 3-alkyl-4-arylazomethylene-3,4-dihydro-1,2,3-benzotriazines in protic solvents: 1,4-Addition reactions and dimroth rearrangement

3-Alkyl-4-arylazomethylene-3,4-dihydro-1,2,3-benzotriazines 5a and 5b undergo facile 1,4-addition of methanol or ethanol to afford stable crystalline hydrazones, 6 and 8 which have been characterised by spectroscopic analysis. In particular, the nmr spectrum of 8 shows novel features due to the diastereotopic nature of the CH₂ protons in the two O-ethyl groups. Compound 5b shows a property unique to the compounds in this series; refluxing this arylazomethylenetriazine in ethanol affords a rearranged product, characterised as the 1-aryl-2-cinnolinylhydrazine ( 9 ). The formation of 9 is rationalised as a ring opening-ring closure process analogous to the Dimroth rearrangement. The cinnoline 9 displays some novel chemistry arising from the facility of the arylhydrazino substituent to react with acid to give a fragmentation product, 3-methylindazole ( 7 ).