6-Azauracils, methylation

In this connection the possibility of oxidation of these substances to the tetrahydro derivatives should be mentioned. It was made use of by Thiele and Bailey for the preparation of 6-methyl-3,5-dioxo-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-l,2,4-triazine (6-azathymine) (46) and only recently by Grundman et al. for that of 6-azauracil (42). 

The sodium or potassium salt of 6-azauracil in aqueous ethanol, anhydrous ethanol, or ethylene glycol reacted with methyl iodide practically exclusively to give the 3-methyl derivative (63). In toluene the sodium, potassium, and mercuric salts produced no methylated derivatives whereas the silver salt also yielded the 3-methyl derivative, Similarly, the 3-methyl derivative was prepared from the mercuric salt of 6-azathymine, and its structure was established by hydrolysis to pyruvic acid 4-methylthiosemicarbazone. ... 

During methylation of 6-azauracil with a theoretical amount of diazomcthane, the 3-methyl derivative (63) was obtained in very good yield. Excess reagent produces the dimethyl derivative (64). During none of the alkylation reactions was it possible to observe the formation of 0-alkyl derivatives of 6-azauracil. This can be taken as evidence that 6-azauracil does not react in the lactim form (e.g., Section II,B, b). 

The course of alkylations of 6-azauracil is in good agreement with the results of determination of the dissociation constants of 6-azauracil and of its two monomethyl derivatives. On the assumption that a methyl group does not much affect the dissociation constant, and on the basis of the lactam structure, it may be concluded from the values of the dissociation constants iKa of 6-azauracil = 7.00, of l-methyl-6-azauracil = 6.99, and of 3-methyl-6-azauracil = 9.52) that dissociation takes first place at the NH group in position 3. The same results are obtained independently by comparing the pH dependence of the XJV spectra of these compounds. These results represent an exact confirmation of the older observation by Cattelain that the monoalkyl derivatives of 6-substituted dioxotriazines possess different acidity. 

Azauridine was also synthesized using the knowledge of the course of alkylation of 6-azauracil 2-methylmercapto derivatives (e.g., Section II,B,4,b). The 1-ribofuranosyl derivative obtained by reaction of the mercury salt of the 2-methylmercapto derivative with tri-O-benzoyl-jS-D-ribofuranosyl chloride on removal of the methyl-mercapto and then benzoyl groups yielded crystalline 6-azauridine, The main difference between uracil and 6-azauracil nucleosides consists in the preparation of cyclic nucleosides. It is known that uridine can be readily converted to cyclic nucleosides by the reaction of 2 (50-O-mesyl derivatives with nucleophilic agents, Analogous... 

In agreement with the results of Cattelain, further methylation of the 3-methylmercapto derivative (96) results practically exclusively in 2-methyl-3-methylmercapto-5-oxo-2,5-dihydro-l,2,4-triazine (97). Further methylation of 5-methylmercapto derivative (90) yields 2-methyl-5-methylmercapto-3-oxo-2,3-dihydro-l,2,4-triazine (100). Their structure was confirmed by acid hydrolysis leading to 2-methyl-3,5-dioxo derivatives (62), As was already mentioned, this reaction is a suitable general procedure for preparing the 1-alkyl derivatives of 6-azauracil. ... 

It was found already by Cattelain that the 3-thioxo derivatives behave as monobasic acids that can be titrated on phenolphthalein and he considered them as more acid than the analogous 3,5-dioxo-triazines. This assumption was recently confirmed by determining the dissociation constants. Just as with 6-azauracil, it was possible to demonstrate, by comparing the dissociation constants of the V-methyl derivatives of all the thioxo analogs, that with the 3-thioxo compounds too, dissociation proceeds first at the NH group in position 3 122... 

Oxidation of the hexahydro to tetrahydro derivatives was mentioned in connection with the synthesis of 3,5-dioxo-l,2,4-triazines (e.g., Section II,B,2,a). The reverse procedure, hydrogenation of the tetrahydro derivatives, was used with 6-azauracil, 6-azathymine, and their iV-methyl derivatives. With all these compounds hydrogenation proceeds smoothly in the presence of Adams catalyst. Only the hydrogenation of l-methyl-6-azathymine was not successful. ... 

Dioxohexahydro-l,2,4-triazine (dihydro-6-azauracil) (128) yields a diacetyl derivative (129) which is relatively stable toward hydrolysis. The acetylation of the iV-methyl derivatives and the course of the reaction with diazomethane indicates that acetylation takes place here in positions 1 and 2 ... 

Further compounds for which X-ray crystallographic analyses have been published are 5[2-(dimethylamino)propenyl]-6-methyl-3-phenyl-1,2,4-triazine (11) (73LA1970), 1,2,4-triazine-3,5-dione (6-azauracil 12) (74AX(B)1430>, 6-methyl-l,2,4-triazine-3,5-dione (6-azathymidine 13) (75AX(B)2519>, 2-0S-D-ribofuranosyl)-l,2,4-triazine-3.5-dione... 

The structures of 5-azacytosine and related compounds are of interest because of their biological importance (see Section 2.20.5.6). l-Methyl-5-azacytosine exists in the amino-oxo form (23). 5-Azauracil (l,3,5-triazine-2,4-dione) is of particular interest. IR spectra indicate that it exists in the dioxo form in the solid, but H NMR studies have been interpreted to show that it exists in the monoenolic form in solution. The spectra showed a non-exchange-able sharp singlet at 8.18 8 (H, 24) (760MR(8)224). Derivatives of 5-azacytosine and 5-azauracil are covalently hydrated. Thus 5-azauridine exists entirely in the crystal form as (25) (76MI22000, p.l39>. 

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