Enolethers. XX . Synthesis of azepino[4,5-b]quinoxalines and pyridopyrazino[2,3-d]azepines

1,6-Diethoxy-1,5-hexadiene-3,4-dione ( 1 ) reacts with primary amines 3 and ammonia respectively in a molar ratio of 1:1 to give mainly aminoalkyl- and small amounts of bis(aminoalkyl)-1,5-hexadiene-3,4-diones 4 and 2 , respectively. On heating in dichlorobenzene above 150° the mixtures of 2 and 4 cyclize to yield 1-alkyl-1H-azepine-4,5-diones 5 by elimination of ethanol or amine. 3H-3-Alkylazepino4,5-b]-quinoxalines 7, 8, 10 and 12 are easily accessible by condensation of the diketones 5a and b with various substituted o-phenylenediamines 6, 9 and 3,3′,4,4′-tetraaminobiphenyl ( 11 ) in p-xylene or n-butanol. 8-Isopropylpyridopyrazino2,3-d]azepines 14 were obtained by condensation of 5b with pyridinediamines 13 in p-xylene. The azepine-4,5-diones 5a-c can be hydrogenated selectively by sodium borohydride in ethanol at room temperature to give the azepin-4-ol-5-ones 15a-c .