A concise synthesis of a highly substituted 6‐(1H‐benzimidazol‐1‐yl)‐5‐nitrosopyrimidin‐2‐amine: synthetic sequence and the molecular and supramolecular structures of one product and two intermediates

A concise and efficient synthesis of 6‐benzimidazolyl‐5‐nitrosopyrimidines has been developed using Schiff base‐type intermediates derived from N⁴‐(2‐aminophenyl)‐6‐methoxy‐5‐nitrosopyrimidine‐2,4‐diamine. 6‐Methoxy‐N⁴‐{2‐(4‐methylbenzylidene)amino]phenyl}‐5‐nitrosopyrimidine‐2,4‐diamine, (I), and N⁴‐{2‐(ethoxymethylidene)amino]phenyl}‐6‐methoxy‐5‐nitrosopyrimidine‐2,4‐diamine, (III), both crystallize from dimethyl sulfoxide solution as the 1:1 solvates C₁₉H₁₈N₆O₂·C₂H₆OS, (Ia), and C₁₄H₁₆N₆O₃·C₂H₆OS, (IIIa), respectively. The interatomic distances in these intermediates indicate significant electronic polarization within the substituted pyrimidine system. In each of (Ia) and (IIIa), intermolecular N—H…O hydrogen bonds generate centrosymmetric four‐molecule aggregates. Oxidative ring closure of intermediate (I), effected using ammonium hexanitratocerate(IV), produced 4‐methoxy‐6‐2‐(4‐methylphenyl‐1H‐benzimidazol‐1‐yl]‐5‐nitrosopyrimidin‐2‐amine, C₁₉H₁₆N₆O₂, (II) Cobo et al. (2018). Private communication (CCDC 1830889). CCDC, Cambridge, England], where the extent of electronic polarization is much less than in (Ia) and (IIIa). A combination of N—H…N and C—H…O hydrogen bonds links the molecules of (II) into complex sheets.