9-Hydroxy-2-methyl-4H-pyrido[1,2-α] pyrimidin-4-one and its derivatives

2-Amino-3-(o-bromobenzyloxy)pyridine ( 1 ) and ethyl acetoacetate gave 9-(o-bromobenzyl-oxy)-2-methyl-4H-pyrido1,2-α]pyrimidin-4-one ( 2 ) in 2% yield. When 1 and methyl β-amino-crotonate ( 3 ) were reacted, benzyl ether cleavage occurred and the products were 9-hydroxy-2-methyl-4H-pyrido1,2-α]pyrimidin-4-one ( 4 ) and its ammonium salt ( 5 ). These observations led to an alternative synthesis in which 2-amino-3-pyridinol ( 6 ) and either 3 or methyl acetoacetate, ( 8 ) in diethylbenzene at 185° gave 4 in 86 and 87% yields, respectively, and the anion of 4 and o-bromobenzyl bromide gave 2 in 61% yield. Even in diethylbenzene at 185°, 1 and 8 gave only trace amounts of 2 . Thus, o-bromobenzylation of the 3-hydroxyl group in 6 markedly decreased the reactivity of the amino group in 6 toward reactions with acetoacetic esters.