Trifluoromethyl imidazoles

Some imidazole derivatives with trifluoromethyl substituents have been made, as part of a programme on the synthesis of fluorine-containing annyti-cancer agents. This work is a joint project between ourselves and Professor A.B. Foster's group at the Institute of Cancer Research, Royal Cancer Hospital, London. Imidazole carboxylic acids have been treated with sulphur tetrafluoride to give 2-trifluoromethyl-, 2,4-bis(trifluoromethyl)-, and 2,4,5-tris(trifluoromethyl)-imidazole. Some reactions of these trifluoromethyl derivatives have been studied. Ranges of N-substituted derivatives have been synthesised using the imidazole silver salts and the appropriate alkyl halide derivative. Hydrolytic stabilities of the CF₃ groups in the patent imidazoles have been studied.The 2-trifluoromethyl derivative is the least stable hydrolytically.