Synthesis of 4-substituted 1,4-benzodiazepine-3,5-diones

Synthetic routes leading to the preparation of 4-substituted 1,4-benzodiazepine-3,5-diones are described. Thus, 2-carbobenzoxyaminobenzoic acid was converted to its p-nitrobenzyl ester (I) and the decarbobenzoxylated product (II) gave, with ethyl α-bromoacetate, N-(2-carboxy p-nitrobenzylate)phenylglycine ethyl ester (III). The latter was hydrogenolyzed to N-(2-car-boxy)phenylglycine ethyl ester (IV), which was coupled with benzylamine to give N-(2-carboxy-benzylamido)phenylglycine ethyl ester (VIa). Saponification of VIa afforded N-(2-carboxy-benzylamido)phenylglycine (VIIa) which was cyclized with DCCI to produce 4-benzyl-2H-1,4-benzodiazepine-3,5(lH,4H)dione (VIIIa). Alternatively, 2-nitro-N-phenylbenzamide (Xb) was reduced to 2-amino-N-phenylbenzamide (XIb) which was converted to N-(2-carboxanih'do)-phenylglycine ethyl ester (VIb). The latter was converted to 4-phenyl-2H-1,4-benzodiazepine-3,5(1H,4H)dione (VIIIb) in an analogous fashion described for VIIIa.