Nitroimidazoles, Part 1. An Unexpected Reactivity During the Cyclization of 3‐(4‐Amino‐1‐benzyl‐2‐ethyl‐1H‐imidazol‐5‐ylsulphanyl)‐propionic Acid Methyl Ester

Abstract

Nucleophilic substitution of the 5‐bromo group in 1 by methyl 3‐mercaptopropionate gave the 5‐alkyl‐mercapto derivative 2. Reduction of 2 with H₂/Pd led to the amine 3, meanwhile reduction with Fe/HOAc afforded the 5‐acetamido derivative 4 and not the cyclized derivative 1,3,8‐triaza‐azulen‐7‐one 6, as expected. Treatment of 3 with NaOMe/MeOH furnished the racemic mixture 5a and 5b via an unexpected reactivity.

Keywords:

• Cyclization
• 4‐nitroimidazole
• nucleophilic substitution
• meso‐product

Acknowledgment

We thank U. Beifuß, Fakultät für Chemie at the Universität Hohenheim, Germany, for assisting in the NMR experiment and mass spectra measurements.