Synthesis of aryl ring-fused benzimidazolequinones using 6-exo-trig radical cyclizations

The preparation of alicyclic ring-fused tetracyclic and pentacyclic benzimidazoles containing one and two fused aryl rings, respectively, is achieved conveniently in three steps, including Bu₃SnH-mediated 6-exo-trig cyclization of σ-aryl radicals generated from 1-allyl-2-(ω-bromoaryl)benzimidazoles. Inclusion of 4,7-dimethoxy substituents on the radical precursors allows access to aryl ring-fused benzimidazolequinones, a unique family of potential bioreductive anti-cancer agents.     

Greener synthesis using hydrogen peroxide in ethyl acetate of alicyclic ring-fused benzimidazoles and anti-tumour benzimidazolequinones

Environmentally-friendly and cost effective hydrogen peroxide in ethyl acetate was used to prepare in high yields pyrrolo[1,2-a]benzimidazoles from commercial o-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)anilines without the requirement for organic-aqueous extraction and chromatography. Six, seven and eight membered ring-fused analogues were similarly obtained in high yields with methanesulfonic acid required for the pyrido[1,2-a]benzimidazole. Anti-tumour benzimidazolequinone derivatives were obtained in high yield via the cyclization of 3,6-dimethoxy-2-(cycloamino)anilines.     

Synthesis of dimethyl substituted benzimidazoles containing cyclopropane fused onto five to eight membered [1,2-a]alicyclic rings and influence of methyl group substituents on cytotoxicity of benzimidazolequinones

Upon thermolysis 5,6-dimethyl-N-[(allyl, but-3-enyl, pent-4-enyl and hex-5-enyl-benzimidazol-2-yl)methylene]-(trans)-2,3-diphenylaziridin-1-amines (Eschenmoser hydrazones) form cyclopropane fused onto pyrrolo-, pyrido-, azepino- and azocino[1,2-a]benzimidazoles in 70, 50, 77 and 11% yield, respectively. The latter reaction also gave carbene insertion products. Dimethyl group substituents were found to significantly reduce the cytotoxicity of benzimidazolequinone towards human skin fibroblast cells.     

Synthesis and X-ray crystal structure of pyrrolo[1,2-a]benzimidazoles

Reaction of nitrilimines 1 with 2-cyanomethylbenzimidazole 2 gave the 3-arylazo-2-methylpyrrolo[1,2-a]benzimidazole 4a rather than the reported 2-arylazo-3-methylpyrrolo[1,2-a]benzimidazole 3a. The correct structure of the product was determined using X-ray crystal structure analysis. The similar reaction of nitrilimines with 2-aminobenzimidazole 5 gave the acyclic nucleophilic addition product 6.     

Synthesis of benzo[4,5]imidazo[2,1-a]phthalazines

5,9-Disubstituted benzo[4,5]imidazo[2,1-a]phthalazines are synthesized efficiently from acylbenzoic acids and 2-nitro-5-chlorophenylhydrazine. Nucleophilic substitution in phthalazinones gave a variety of the title compounds after reduction and cyclization.     

A facile synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]benzimidazoles and pyrazolo[3,4:4′,3′]pyrrolo[1,2-a]benzimidazole derivatives

Reaction of 2-cyanomethylbenzimidazole 1 with hydrazonoyl halides 2 led to formation of pyrrolo[1,2-a]benzimidazole derivatives 7. Similar reaction of 1 with halides 3 afforded 5-amino-4-(benzimidazol-2-yl)pyrazole derivatives 11 or 1-amino-2-arylpyrazolo[3,4:4′,3′]pyrrolo[1,2-a]benzimidazol-4-one 14 depending on the reaction conditions. The mechanisms of the studied reactions are discussed.     

Cyclisation of 3-alkenylpyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidines to furo[2,3-d]pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidines

3-Alkenylpyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidines react under mild conditions to give novel tricyclic furo[2,3-d]pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidines in high yields. The cyclisation takes place in the presence of an acid catalyst. The product yield is affected by the type and the strength of the acid used. Exceptionally high yields were obtained when an organic acid like trifluoromethanesulfonic acid and trifluoroacetic acid were used. On the other hand, sulfuric acid gave the best results of the inorganic acids examined.     

Solid-phase synthesis of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines and imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidines

The synthesis of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine and imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidine derivatives by condensation between an α-bromoketone bound to solid support and various 2-aminopyridine or 2-aminopyrimidine derivatives was described. Either an acid labile linker or a base labile linker was used in this study.     

Synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazines and pyrazino[1,2-a]indoles by Curtius reaction in Morita-Baylis-Hillman derivatives

Synthesis of substituted pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazines and pyrazino[1,2-a]indoles from the Morita-Baylis-Hillman derivatives of acrylates via saponification followed by Curtius reaction is described.     

Synthesis and biological activity of fluorinated 2-amino-4-aryl-3,4-dihydro[1,3,5]triazino[1,2-a]benzimidazoles

The heterocyclic nucleus s-triazino[1,2-a]benzimidazole has been reported to exhibit antibacterial activity. In this study, seven new 3,4-dihydro[1,3,5]triazino[1,2-a]benzimidazole derivatives were prepared via cyclocondensation between 2-guanidinobenzimidazole and fluorine substituted (including trifluoromethyl) benzaldehydes. The structures of all the compounds were confirmed by ¹H, ¹³C NMR and IR spectral data. Spectral data also suggested the existence of various tautomeric forms of the fluorine-containing s-triazino[1,2-a]benzimidazole compounds. The synthesized compounds were also screened for antibacterial and bovine dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitory activities. The compound 3g substituted with a 3′,5′-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl moiety demonstrated the best antibacterial activity in the series. None of the tested compounds significantly inhibited bovine DHFR.     

A convenient synthesis of linear pyridinoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine and pyrroloimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine cores

Two new imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivatives, pyridinoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine (10) and pyrroloimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine (16), were synthesised from 2-amino-4-methyl-5-nitropyridine (1) by linear cyclisation, making use of dimethylformamide dimethylacetal (DMFDMA) as an agent of vinylamine functionalisation. This report describes first the formation of pyridine and pyrroloimidazopyridine from (1), and then the formation of pyridine-fused and pyrrolo-fused pyridine by the Friedländer method and reductive cyclisation followed by treatment of the resulting adduct with chloroacetaldehyde.     

Reactions promoted by [hydroxy(tosyloxy)iodo]benzene in pyrazino[1,2-b]isoquinolines

The hypervalent iodine reagent PhI(OH)OTs (HTIB) promoted oxidative demethylation of 1,4-hydroquinone methyl ethers to give quinones in a quantitative conversion. The efficacy of this reaction, that has been applied to simple arene compounds and to heterocyclic systems, such as 2-isopropoxycarbonyl-7,10-dimethoxy-pyrazino[1,2-b]isoquinoline-4-ones and 1,4-diones to get the corresponding 7,10-quinones (compounds 6-8), is similar to those promoted by CAN and does not require the presence of water. Instead of oxidative demethylation, HTIB promoted in 1-methoxy-pyrazino[1,2-b]isoquinoline-4-ones complex multi-step processes to give compounds 9 or 10.     

A new, one-pot, multi-component synthesis of imines of 3-amino-2-arylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines, 3-amino-2-arylimidazo[1,2-a]pyrazines, and 3-amino-2-arylimidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidines

An efficient, one-pot, multi-component synthesis of 3-amino-2-arylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines, 3-amino-2-arylimidazo[1,2-a]pyrazines, and 3-amino-2-arylimidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidines is described. Heating a mixture of a 2-aminopyridine, 2-aminopyrazine or 2-aminopyrimidine, a benzaldehyde, and imidazoline-2,4,5-trione under solvent-free conditions afforded imine derivatives of the title compounds in excellent yields. Single-crystal X-ray analysis conclusively confirms the structure of these bridgehead bicyclic 5-6 heterocycles.     

Synthesis and transformations of pyrrolo[1,2-a][1,3,5]-triazines

Pyrrolotriazines and related fused azaheterocycles have high potential for the synthesis of bioactive compounds, especially as a purine base isoster in carbon linked nucleosides. Although many structurally related compounds have already been synthesized and used in medicinal chemistry, pyrrolo[1,3,5]triazines have barely been described. The present work describes the synthesis of such heterocycles via condensation of 2-amino-3-ethoxycarbonylpyrrole with ethoxycarbonyliso(thio)cyanate. In a brief reactivity study of the obtained fused pyrroles, O- and S-alkylation, ester hydrolysis as well as regioselective bromination at the 6-position was demonstrated.     

A simple approach for the regioselective synthesis of imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidiones and pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidinones

Several imidazo and pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidinones of type 1 and 2 were synthesized through intramolecular cyclization of pyrimidines 9 or pyrimidinones 10 bearing a variety of β and γ-aminoalcohols at the 2-position. Ring closure of the pyrimidinones of type 10 under Mitsunobu conditions lead to mixtures of both bicyclic regioisomers 1 and 2. Treatment of pyrimidines of type 9 with H₂SO₄ provided an efficient and operationally simple one-pot hydrolysis-cyclization procedure for obtaining imidazo and pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidinones 1 in good yields as the sole regioisomeric bicyclic product.     

Synthesis and rearrangement of cycloalkyl[1,2-e]oxazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-8/9-ones: an access to cycloalkyl[1,2-d]oxazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-5-ones

2-Substituted-4a-hydroxy-9H-cycloalkyl[1,2-e]oxazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-9-ones 2a-c were synthesized by an one-step cyclocondensation from the 5-substituted-2-amino-2-oxazolines 1a-c with ethyl 2-oxocyclohexanecarboxylate in ethanol at room temperature, and easily dehydrated to provide 2-substituted-9H-cycloalkyl[1,2-e]oxazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-9-ones 3. In refluxing xylene, the reaction conducted with various ethyl 2-oxocycloalkanecarboxylates led to the two isomeric 2-substituted-8/9H-cycloalkyl[1,2-e]oxazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-8/9-ones 3 and 2-substituted-5H-cycloalkyl[1,2-d]oxazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-5-ones 4. The structure of some compounds was unambiguously established using X-ray crystallography. According to results from the DSC analysis of compound 2a, formation of the thermodynamically stable pyrimidinones 4 could be related to an intramolecular rearrangement of kinetically controlled pyrimidinones 3.     

Expeditious synthesis of 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-ones and 3,4,6,7,8,9-hexahydro-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-ones

A convenient synthesis of new 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-ones and 3,4,6,7,8,9-hexahydro-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-ones from the Baylis-Hillman adducts of acrylonitrile and their derivatives is described. A common strategy employed to achieve the syntheses of title compounds involved generation of diamines from different Baylis-Hillman derivatives followed by treatment with cyanogen bromide at reflux temperature to trigger a double intramolecular cyclization.     

Highly efficient synthesis of triazolo[1,2-a]indazole-triones and novel spiro triazolo[1,2-a]indazole-tetraones under solvent-free conditions

A new, convenient, and high yielding procedure for the synthesis of triazolo[1,2-a]indazole-triones by the condensation reaction between dimedone, aryl aldehydes, and ueazoles in the presence of a catalytic amount of sulfonated polyethylene glycol (PEG-SO₃H) as a highly stable and reusable eco-friendly degradable polymeric catalyst is described under solvent-free conditions. This procedure has also been applied successfully for the synthesis of novel spiro triazolo[1,2-a]indazole-tetraones.     

Stereoselective intramolecular hetero Diels-Alder reactions of 1-oxa-1,3-butadienes: synthesis of novel annelated pyrrolo[1,2-a]indoles

Novel classes of pyrano-1,3-dioxane-, pyranopyrimidine- and pyranopyrazole-fused pyrrolo[1,2-a]indoles are synthesised via stereoselective intramolecular 1-oxa-1,3-butadiene hetero Diels-Alder reactions.     

New multi-component reaction accessing 3-aminoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines

The novel one step solution phase synthesis of an array of 3-aminoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines is reported. Reactions were performed in methanol by mixing a α-amino-pyridine, aldehyde and trimethylsilylcyanide (TMSCN) to give the desired product. Mediated by microwave irradiation and catalyzed by scandium triflate, the methodology represents the first one pot preparation of 3-aminoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines that avoids the use of an isonitrile and subsequent de-protection strategy. The reaction is an example of a formal three-centre-three-component multi-component reaction.