Synthesis of the 3-methyl and 4-methyl derivatives of 3-amino-3,4-dihydro-1-hydroxycarbostyril and related compounds

The 3-methyl and 4-methyl derivatives of 3-amino-3,4-dihydro-1-hydroxycarbostyril were synthesized by the reductive cyclization of α-methyl-β-(o-nitrophenyl)alanine and α-amino-β-(o-nitrophenyl)butyric acid hydrohalides, respectively, under conditions of catalytic hydrogenation in acidic solution. The free bases of the latter two o-nitroaromatic amino acids were also catalytically hydrogenated under neutral conditions to yield the respective α-methyl-β-(o-aminophenyl)alanine and α-amino-β-(o-aminophenyl)butyric acid which were converted to the corresponding lactams, 3-methyl- and 4-methyl-3-amino-3,4-dihydrocarbostyrils. α-Methyl-β-(o-nitrophenyl)alanine was obtained by acid hydrolysis of 5-methy)-5-(o-nitrobenzyl)hydantoin which was prepared by treatment of o-nitrophenylacetone with potassium cyanide and ammonium carbonate. α-Amino-β-(o-nitrophenyl)butyric acid was synthesized by condensation of α-bromo-o-nitroethylbenzene with diethyl acetamidomalonate, followed by acid hydrolysis of the condensation product. The 4-methylated compounds were obtained as synthetic mixtures of two diasteromeric racemates in nearly the same amounts as shown by nmr spectral analysis. Unlike the demethylated parent compound, 3-amino-3,4-dihydro-1-hydroxycarbostyril, neither the 3-methyl nor 4-methyl analog was found to possess any antibacterial activity.