On the Chemistry of Cinnoline I. Synthesis and Reactions of (4-Amino-cinnolin-3-yl)-p-tolyl-methanones

Abstract

The synthesis of a series of disubstituted (4-aminocinnolin-3-yl)-aryl-methanones from aryl-hydrazonomalononitrile in a one-step procedure is described. Cyclocondensation of (4-amino-6,8-dimethyl-cinnolin-3-yl)-phenyl-methanone with malononitrile, diethylmalonate, and dimethylacetamide-dimethylacetal gave the corresponding pyrido[3,2-c]cinnoline derivatives. Treatment of (4-amino-6,8-dimethyl-cinnolin-3-yl)-phenyl-methanone with triethyl-orthoacetate under reflux readily afforded the corresponding imidoester which underwent cyclization to a pyrido[3,2-c]cinnoline derivative. This starting compound could also be annelated to the corresponding 1,2-dihydro-4-aryl-2-oxo-pyrido[3,2-c]cinnoline derivatives via the (4-acetamidocinnolin-3-yl)-aryl-methanones. Chemical and spectroscopic evidences for the structures of the new compounds are presented. The effect of three of the compounds against sixty cancer types was tested.