2,3 -dihydropyrazine dehydrogenation

Azirines are dimerized under various conditions to dihydropyrazines or their dehydrogenated products, namely pyrazines (Section 8.03.9.5). Quinoxalines are oxidized with potassium permanganate to afford 2,3-pyrazinedicarboxylic acids, and pteridines are hydrolyzed to give 3-amino-2-pyrazinecarboxylic acid derivatives. Condensation of 3,4-diamino-l,2,5-thiadiazole 176 with a-diketones produces l,2,5-thiadiazolo[3,4- Jpyrazines 177, which are reduced to provide 2,3-diaminopyrazines 178 (Scheme 51) <1997JCM250>. 

The condensation of a,j8-diketones with 1,2-diamines is a classical route for the synthesis of alkyl- and arylpyrazines. For example, good yields of dihydropyrazines are obtained from reaction of 2,3-dioxo-alkanes andethylenediamine dehydrogenation over a copper chromite catalyst at 300° then gives 3-alkyl-2-methylpyrazines (Scheme 1). Attempts to carry out the dehydrogenation using a variety of milder and more convenient laboratory procedures were not successful.100,110... 

Kappe et al.3S1 have prepared 3,6-bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2,5-dihydropyrazine (181) by alkaline treatment of 3-amino-4-hydroxy-coumarin (180). Compound 181 is conveniently dehydrogenated over... 

The condensation of a, dicarbonyl compounds (49) with aj3-diamino compounds (50), which proceeds through the dihydropyrazine (51), has been much used for the synthesis of alkyl- and arylpyrazines (52). These reactions are usually carried out in methanol, ethanol, or ether in the presence of sodium or potassium hydroxide. The dihydropyrazines may be isolated, or oxidized directly to the pyrazine. Dehydrogenating agents that have been employed include oxygen in aqueous alkali (329), air in the presence of potassium hydroxide (330), sodium amylate in amyl alcohol (330a), alcoholic ferric chloride (24), and copper chromite catalyst at 300° (331) (see also Section 1). Pyrazines prepared by this method and modifications described below are listed in Table II.8 (2, 6, 24, 60, 80,195, 329-382) and some additional data are provided in Sections VI. 1 A, VlII.lA(l), and IX.4A(1). 

Dehydrogenations of some 2,3-dihydropyrazines to the corresponding pyrazines have been effected as follows 2,3-dimethyI-5,6-dihydro [reflux with potassium hydroxide in ethanol (333) heat in ethylene glycol at 197° (653, 1558) reflux with potassium hydroxide and manganous oxide in ethanol (633a) vapor phase reaction in the presence of a catalyst, such as copper chromite, and clay (472) heat... 

Gutknecht pyrazine synthesis. Cyclization of a-amino ketones produced by reduction of isoni-troso ketones the dihydropyrazines formed are dehydrogenated with Hg20 or CuS04, or sometimes with atmospheric oxygen. 

According to Sheldon et al. (1986), two molecules of the 2,3-dihydropyrazines can form a mixture of the corresponding pyrazine and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrazine by disproportionation. It was also observed by Masuda et al. (1980) that dehydrogenation of 2,3-dimethyl-5,6-dihydropyrazine generated the disproportionation compounds 2,3-dimethyl-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyrazine and 5-ethyl-2,3-dimethylpyrazine in addition to the desired 2,3-dimethylpyrazine in a sodium ethoxide/ethanol solution. It was then deduced that the carbanion of 2,3-dimethyl-5,6-dihydropyrazine was formed with the base and then reacted with acetaldehyde, present in ethanol in small quantities, to yield the 5-substituted pyrazine. On the basis of this result the authors prepared in high yield a series of nine, 5-substituted, 2,3-dimethylpyr-azines by reaction of 2,3-dimethyl-5,6-dihydropyrazines with six aldehydes and three ketones under the same basic conditions. 

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