A convenient synthesis of (z)-3-(α-alkoxycarbonyl-α-cyanomethylene)-2-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoxalines and related compounds

(Z)-3-(α-Alkoxycarbonyl-α-cyanomethylene)-2-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoxalines 3 and (Z)-3-(α-alkoxycarbonyl-α-cyanomethylene)-3,4-dihydrobenzo[g]quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones 5 possessing various alkoxycarbonyl groups were prepared in good yields directly from the reaction of dialkyl (E)-2,3-dicyanobutendioates 1 with o-phenylenediamine ( 2 ) or with 2,3-diaminonaphthalene ( 4 ), respectively. Furthermore, 2,3-diaminopyridine ( 6 ) and 3,4-diaminopyridine ( 7 ) were reacted with the diethyl ester 1b to give (Z)-2-(α-cyano-α-ethoxycarbonylmethylene)-1,2-dihydro-4H-pyrido[2,3-b]pyrazin-3-one ( 8 ) and (Z)-3-(α-cyano-α-ethoxycarbonylmethylene)-3,4-dihydro-1H-pyrido[3,4-b]pyrazin-2-one ( 9 ), respectively. The structural studies of 3, 5, 8 , and 9 were carried out by nmr experiments in some details.