Reduction of 4,7-diphenyl-1,2,5-thia(oxa)diazolo[3,4-c]pyridines affording 2,5-diphenyl-3,4-diaminopyridines and ring closure of the diamines to fluorescent azaheterocycles

Reduction of 4,7-diphenyl-1,2,5-thia- ( 1a-i ) and 1,2,5-oxadiazolo[3,4-c]pyridines ( 3a and c-e ) gave 3,4-diamino-2,5-diphenylpyridines ( 2a-g ), which were converted into the fluorescent triazolo[4,5-c]-( 5 ), 1,2,5-selenadiazolo[3,4-c]- ( 6 ), imidazolo[4,5-c]pyridines ( 8 ), and pyrido[5,6-c]pyridines ( 11 ). In the reduction of 3a, c and e , 4,5-dihydro[1,2,5]oxadiazolo[3,4-c]pyridines ( 4a-c ) were obtained.