Routes to N‐vinyl‐nitroimidazoles and N‐vinyl‐deazapurines

The preparations of 4‐ and 5‐nitro‐1‐vinylimidazole ( 2 and 7 ) are described. Selective reduction of the nitro group using Fe/dil.HCl is achieved for the 4‐nitro derivative but this is not effective when ethoxymethylenemalononitrile is used to trap the amine. For 5‐nitroimidazole studies the N‐vinyl substituent is kept masked as a 2‐chloroethyl group, which remains unchanged during catalytic reduction of the nitro function (Pd/C), and is revealed by HCl elimination at a later stage. In this way, the 1‐deazapurine 13 and the tricyclic derivative 14 have been prepared.