On the behavior of α-brominated dimethyl o-benzenediacetate toward nitrogen nucleophiles . Part I. Reaction of dimethyl α,α'-dibromo o-benzenediacetate with hydrazines

Meso- ( 1a ) and racemic dimethyl α,α'-dibromo o-benzenediacetate ( 1b ) when condensed with hydrazine and methylhydrazine furnished respectively 1,3-dicarbomethoxyisoindole ( 5a ) and its N-methyl derivative ( 5b ). Reaction of phenylhydrazine with 1a led to the N-phenylisoindole ( 5c ) and to the N-anilino isoindoline ( 6 ) as the cis isomer; conversely, 1b was transformed into a mixture of the 2-phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrophthalazine ( 7 ), the trans isomer of ( 6 ), the N-anilinoisoindole ( 5d ) and dimethyl α-(N'-phenylhydrazino)-o-benzenediacetate ( 8 ). Compounds 1a and 1b were also condensed with acetylhydrazine to give a mixture of the N-acetylaminoisoindoline ( 12 ) and of the 2-acetyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrophthalazine ( 13 ).