Benzopyranopyridine derivatives 3. Reaction of 1-azaxanthone with grignard reagents

Three different classes of compounds were isolated in the reaction of Grignard reagents with 5-H[1]benzopyrano[2,3-b]pyridin-5-one, commonly called 1-azaxanthone. The formation of (a) 4-substituted 1,4-dihydro-1-azaxanthones (II), (b) 5-substituted-5-hydroxy-1-azaxanthenes (III) or (c) 4,5-disubstituted-1-azaxanthenes (IV) is dependent on the solvent used in the preparation of the Griganrd reagent (i.e. ether or tetrahydrofuran), the steric properties of the reagent and on the temperature. The isolated compounds were characterized by chemical derivatives and/or spectroscopic analyses.