The psuedo‐michael reaction of 2‐aminoimidazolines 2. Part 1. Synthesis and structure assignment of isomeric 5(1H)‐Oxo and 7(1H)‐Oxo‐2,3‐dihydroimidazo[1,2‐a]pyrimidine‐6‐carboxylates

The pseudo‐Michael reaction of 1‐aryl‐2‐aminoimidazolines‐2 with diethyl ethoxymethylenemalonate (DEEM) was investigated. Extensive structural studies were performed to confirm the reaction course. For derivatives with N1 aromatic substituents, it was found that the reaction course was temperature dependent. When the reaction temperature was held at ?10 °C only the formation of 1‐aryl‐7(1H)‐oxo‐2,3‐dihydroimi‐dazo[1,2‐a]pyrimidine‐6‐carboxylates ( 4 ) was observed in contrast to earlier suggestions. Under the room temperature conditions, the same reaction yielded mixtures, with varying ratio, of isomeric 1‐aryl‐7(1H)‐oxo‐ ( 4a‐4f ) and 1‐aryl‐5(1H)‐oxo‐2,3‐dihydroimidazo[1,2‐a]pyrimidine‐6‐carboxylates ( 5a‐5f ). The molecular structure of selected isomers, 4b and 5c , was confirmed by X‐ray crystallography. Frontal chro‐matography with delivery from the edge was applied for the separation of the isomeric esters. The isomer ratio of the reaction products depended on the character of the substituents on the phenyl ring. The 1‐aryl‐7(1H)‐oxo‐carboxylates ( 4a‐4f ) were preferably when the phenyl ring contained H, 4‐CH₃, 4‐OCH₃ and 3,4‐Cl₂ substituents. Chloro substitution at either position 3 or 4 in the phenyl ring favored the formation of isomers 5a‐5f . The isomer ratios were confirmed both by ¹H NMR and chromatography. The reaction of the respective hydrobromides of 1‐aryl‐2‐aminoimidazoline‐2 with DEEM, in the presence of triethylamine, gave selectively 5(1H)‐oxo‐esters ( 5a‐5f ).