| Abstract: | Reactions of 3-benzenesulfonyloxyalloxazine ( 1a ) and its 1-methyl analog 1b with a number of nucleophilic reagents are reported. Relatively small nucleophiles, such as hydroxide ion, methanol, ethanol, methylamine, hydrazine and hydroxylamine converted 1a to 4-carboxy-s-triazolo4,3-a]quinoxalin-1(2H)-ones and the corresponding esters or amides. As the size of the amine increased from methylamine to ethylamine, dimethylamine, propylamine and isopropylamine, there were obtained 4-(carboxamido)-s-triazolo4,3-a]quin-oxalin-1(2H)-ones, (1-carboxamido)imidazolo4,5-b]quinoxalines and 2,3-bis(ureido)quinoxalines. Sodium hydride or potassium cyanide in hot DMF degraded 1a to imidazolo4,5-b]quinoxaline. However, methylmer-captide and benzylmercaptide ions attacked the sulfonate group of 1a to form 3-hydroxyalloxazine. 1-Methyl-3-benzenesulfonyloxyalloxazine ( 1b ) reacted with methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, and to some degree 2-propanol, in the presence of triethylamine to furnish anhydro-1-hydroxy-3-methyl-4-(alkoxycarbonyl)-s-triazolo4,3-a]quinoxalinium hydroxides. However, sodium methoxide in methanol converted this starting material to a mixture of anhydro-1-hydroxy-3-methyl-s-triazolo4,3-a]quinoxalinium hydroxide and 1-methyl-3-hydroxyflavazole. A saturated aqueous solution of triethylamine transformed 1b to anhydro-1-hydroxy-3-methyl-s-triazolo4,3-a]quinoxalinium hydroxide, apparently via the corresponding unstable 4-carboxylic acid. The reactions of 1b with a number of aliphatic amines yielded either amides based on the above mesoionic system or on the 3-carboxamido-2-quinoxalyl semicarbazide structure. The reaction of 1b with potassium cyanide furnished 1-methylimidazolo4,5-b]quinoxaline. Mechanisms to explain all of the degradations are advanced. |
