Reaction of dihalocarbenes with 2-(benzylideneamino)pyridines. Cyclization of 2-(benzylideneamino)pyridinium dihalomethylids to give 2-aryl-3-haloimidazo[1,2-α]pyridines

Pyridinium dichloromethylids, formed in the reaction of dichlorocarbene with 2-(benzylideneamino)pyridines, undergo intramolecular 1,5-cyclization to give 2-aryl-3-chloroimidazo1,2-a]pyridines, which undergo partial conversion to 2-aryl-3-chloro-4H-pyrido1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-ones under the reaction conditions. 2-Aryl-3-bromoimidazo1,2-a]pyridines and 2-N-(1-aryl-2,2,2-tribromoethyl)amino]pyridines, respectively, are obtained in the reaction of dibromocarbene and the tribromomethyl onion generated in the reaction of bromoform with potassium hydroxide.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 810–816, June, 1991.