Synthesis of novel imidazo[1,2‐a]pyrrolo[2,1‐c][1,4]benzodiazepines and pyrimido[1,2‐a]pyrrolo[2,1‐c][1,4]benzodiazepines

Several 1 1-amino-5H-pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepines have been used as starting material to prepare a number of derivatives of 9H-imidazo[1,2-a]pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepines and 10H-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepines. The imidazole nucleus was built by reaction of amidines with ethyl bromopyruvate or aminoacetaldehyde dimethylacetal. Several derivatives of imidazo[1,2-a]pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepine have been prepared by formylation of the pyrrole ring followed by formation of thioamides. Condensation of 11-amino-5H-pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepines with diethyl ethoxymethylenemalonate afforded intermediate diesters which were transformed into the corresponding 10H-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrrolo[2,1-c]-benzodiazepines.