Purine N-oxides—XL The 3-acyloxypurine 8-substitution reaction: Scope: Syntheses of 8-substituted xanthines and guanines

The 3-acyloxypurine 8-substitution reaction is a substitution-elimination reaction involving attack at C-8 by inorganic or organic nucleophiles and departure of an acyloxy group from N-3. It has been studied with 3-acetoxyxanthine, 3-hydroxyguanine and a number of related derivatives and is the method of choice for the preparation of many 8-substituted xanthines or guanines. It proceeds extremely rapidly in neutral aqueous solutions at room temperature. With water alone an 8-hydroxypurine results, and water always competes to some degree with other nucleophiles. The reaction can be carried out in dipolar aprotic solvents, in which it is also possible to prepare the acyloxy derivative in situ and to choose more effective leaving groups such as mesyloxy or tosyloxy. The reaction has been demonstrated with chloride, bromide, nitrite, and azide ions; with the thioether of methionine; a variety of pyridine derivatives, and with primary and secondary alcohols. This reaction is apparently restricted to 3-acyloxypurines which are also substituted at position-2. The behaviour of 3-acetoxy-1-methylxanthine is similar to that of 3-acetoxyxanthine, but 3-acetoxy-7-methylxanthine fails to undergo the reaction.