A Convenient Synthesis Of 4-Substituted-5-nitroimidazole Building Blocks

Abstract

The nitration of 1,2-dimethylimidazoles bearing at the C₄ position a chain with a tertiary alcohol or a terminal alkene gives rise to 5-nitroimidazoles in which the side chains are converted in β-nitroalcohols. These compounds treated with base to splitt off nitromethane anion afford ketones. This represents a preparatively useful and convenient route to new 4-substituted 5-nitroimidazoles.