Pyrazine ring

In valence bond terms the pyrazine ring may be represented as a resonance hybrid of a number of canonical structures (e.g. 1-4), with charge separated structures such as (3) contributing significantly, as evidenced by the polar character of the C=N bond in a number of reactions. The fusion of one or two benzene rings in quinoxaline (5) and phenazine (6) clearly increases the number of resonance structures which are available to these systems. 

Interatomic distances calculated from the detailed analysis of rotational fine structure of the UV spectrum of pyrazine are in close agreement with those observed in (7) and (8), with the calculated bond lengths for C—C of 1.395, C—N 1.341 and C—H 1.085 A (60DIS(20)4291). Thermochemical data have provided a figure of 75 kJ moP for the delocalization energy of the pyrazine ring (B-67MI21400). 

In deuterochloroform, pyrazine shows a single proton resonance at S 8.59 (72CPB2204). Vo, Vm and Vp values between pyrazine ring protons obtained from a number of pyrazine derivatives are 2.5-3, 1.1-1.4 and 0 Hz respectively, and these values do not appear to be affected by the nature of the ring substituents. Some substituent shielding parameters are shown in Table 1. 

It would appear that this type of addition may not be confined to the addition of NH2 in liquid ammonia, since it has been observed that treatment of 2-chloro-3-dichloromethyl-pyrazine with an excess of methoxide results in the introduction of a methoxy group into the 6-position of the pyrazine ring (Scheme 9) (68TL5931). This reaction is best rationalized in terms of addition of the methoxide ion at the 6-position, followed by loss of chloride ion from the dichloromethyl side chain. 

Substitution of the pyrazine ring by electron releasing substituents reduces the reactivity of halopyrazines and more forcing conditions must invariably be employed to bring about displacement of the halogen. 

Dihydropyrazines are relatively stable, although they are easily oxidized. They are usually formed via the addition of organometallic reagents to the pyrazine ring. Similarly, 2,3-dihydropyrazines are usually easily oxidized to pyrazines and are formed during type A synthesis (see Section 2.14.3.2). 

In many instances the primary reaction product is a dihydropyrazine and aromatization may be required as a final step. In addition, many pyrazines are prepared by the structural modification of a preformed pyrazine ring and hence would be classified as a reaction of the ring rather than a ring synthesis such processes are discussed more fully in Section 2.14.2. 

The cleavage of fused pyrazines represents an important method of synthesis of substituted pyrazines, particularly pyrazinecarboxylic acids. Pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxylic acid is usually prepared by the permanganate oxidation of either quinoxalines or phenazines. The pyrazine ring resembles the pyridine ring in its stability rather than the other diazines, pyridazine and pyrimidine. Fused systems such as pteridines may easily be converted under either acidic or basic conditions into pyrazine derivatives (Scheme 75). 

Ring reductions in the pyridopyrazine series have been achieved with a wide variety of agents, and may lead to di- or tetra-hydro derivatives, usually in the pyrazine ring. 

The structure of lumazine has been studied more precisely by X-ray analysis (72AX(B)659). The crystal structure is built up of almost coplanar, hydrogen-bonded dimers of lumazine with the oxygens of the pyrimidine moiety in the keto form and the observed bond distances indicating the pyrazine ring electrons to be delocalized. 

Another unusual rearrangement is performed by Bacillus subtilis during the catabolism of sepiapterin (237), in converting the whole side-chain with subsequent oxidation of the pyrazine ring into 6-(l-carboxyethoxy)pterin (238 equation 75). 

Examination of the pyrazino[2,3-rf]pyrimidine structure of pteridines reveals two principal pathways for the synthesis of this ring system, namely fusion of a pyrazine ring to a pyrimidine derivative, and annelation of a pyrimidine ring to a suitably substituted pyrazine derivative (equation 76). Since pyrimidines are more easily accessible the former pathway is of major importance. Less important methods include degradations of more complex substances and ring transformations of structurally related bicyclic nitrogen heterocycles. 

R] Simpson, ]. C. E. Cinnolines. In The Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds. Condensed Pyridazine and Pyrazine rings (Cinnolines, Phthalazines, and Quinoxalines)-, Weissberger, A. Ed. Interscience Publishers New York-London, 1953 p3. 

Chemistry of conjugated heterocycles built from pyridazine or pyrazine ring fused with bicyclic (norbomadiene, bomene, or azanorbomene) skeletons 98YGK192. 

J. C. E, Simpson, Condensed Pyridazine and Pyrazine Rings. Interscience, New York, 1953. 

A special influence on the course of a reaction by a neighboring group is shown in the reactions of 5-acetyl-leuco(iso)alloxazines - with diazomethane. The methylation occurs neither in the pyrimidine nor in the pyrazine ring, but on the hydroxyl group of a newly formed oxazoline ring. For example,... 

A mixture of 1- and 3-chloro, 1,3-dichloro, and 1,3,5-trichloro derivatives was obtained on chlorination of imidazo[l, 5-a]pyrazine (172). Bromination gave similar results (75JHC207,75JOC3373 84MI24). The 8-chloro compound is best made from the 8-oxy derivative of 172. When the 1-bromo-3-methyl derivative of 172 was treated in turn with aqueous bromine and excess dilute caustic soda, the pyrazine ring was destroyed to give 4-bromo-2-methylimidazole-5-aldehyde (75JOC3373). 

The syntheses of l,4-dihydro-2/7-pyrazino[2,l-7]quinazoline-3,6-diones can be divided into three groups, depending on how the pyrimidine and the pyrazine rings are constructed. 

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