Abstract: | A number of 1‐substituted 4H,5H,6H‐1,3]thiazolo3,2‐a]1,5]benzodiazepinium‐11‐bromides and S‐(2‐oxo‐2‐phenyl‐X‐(p)‐ethyl)‐3‐(2‐methyl‐1H‐benzimidazol‐1‐yl) propane (or butane) thioate hydrobromides were obtained by direct reaction of the 5‐acetyl(or formyl, or anilinocarbonyl)‐substituted tetrahydro‐1,5‐benzodiazepine‐2‐thiones with aromatic α‐bromoketones. 2‐(1‐Acetyl‐2(or 3)‐methyl‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐1,5‐benzodiazepin‐4‐yl) sulfanyl]‐1‐phenylethanones as intermediates of the formation of thiazolo 3,2‐a]1,5]benzodiazepine and N‐substituted 2‐methyl‐1H‐benzimidazole derivatives have been synthesized. Semiempirical AM1 calculations of a mechanism and energetic parameters for the heptatomic nucleus rearrangement to benzimidazole ring are presented. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 19:72–81, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20414 |