Synthesis and alkaline hydrolysis of (pentafluoroethyl)imidazoles

Photochemical ring substitution of the N-trifluoroacetyl derivatives of histamine and of L-histidine methyl ester by pentafluoroethyl radical provides the corresponding 2- and 4-pentafluoroethylated products in yields of 19% and 27%, respectively. Alkaline hydrolysis converts the 2-pentafluoroethyl group to trifluoroacetyl. The reaction mechanism, involving a diazafulvene intermediate, is analogous to that elucidated for (trifluoromethyl)imidazoles; however, the pentafluoroethyl group is markedly more reactive to hydrolysis than the trifluoromethyl group. For imidazole derivatives, the ratio of reactivities is 75 at C-2 and 40 at C-4. The hydrolysis of 4-(pentafluoroethyl)histamine affords the bicyclic product, 4-(trifluoromethyl)-6,7-dihydro-1H-imidazo4,5-c]-pyridine in 65.4% yield.