Pyrimidines tautomerism

The structural work on many other tautomeric pyrimidines is summarized in the reviews previously quoted <63AHC(1)339, 76AHC(Sl)7l). 

Potentially tautomeric pyrimidines and purines are /V-alkylated under two-phase conditions, using tetra-n-butylammonium bromide or Aliquat as the catalyst [75-77], Alkylation of, for example, uracil, thiamine, and cytosine yield the 1-mono-and 1,3-dialkylated derivatives [77-81]. Theobromine and other xanthines are alkylated at N1 and/or at N3, but adenine is preferentially alkylated at N9 (70-80%), with smaller amounts of the N3-alkylated derivative (20-25%), under the basic two-phase conditions [76]. These observations should be compared with the preferential alkylation at N3 under neutral conditions. The procedure is of importance in the derivatization of nucleic acids and it has been developed for the /V-alkylation of nucleosides and nucleotides using haloalkanes or trialkyl phosphates in the presence of tetra-n-butylammonium fluoride [80], Under analogous conditions, pyrimidine nucleosides are O-acylated [79]. The catalysed alkylation reactions have been extended to the glycosidation of pyrrolo[2,3-r/]pyrimidines, pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridines, and pyrazolo[3,4-r/]pyrimidines (e.g. Scheme 5.20) [e.g. 82-88] as a route to potentially biologically active azapurine analogues. 

The nucleophilicity of amine nitrogens is also differentiated by their environments. In 2,4,5,6-tetraaminopyrimidine the most basic 3-amino group can be selectively converted to a Schiff base. It is meta to both pyrimidine nitrogens and does not form a tautomeric imine as do the ortho- and /xira-amino groups. This factor is the basis of the commercial synthesis of triamterene. 

These relationships are general Hydroxyl substituted purines and pyrimidines exist in their keto forms ammo substituted ones retain structures with an ammo group on the ring The pyrimidine and punne bases m DNA and RNA listed m Table 28 1 follow this general rule Beginning m Section 28 7 we 11 see how critical it is that we know the cor rect tautomeric forms of the nucleic acid bases... 

The structure of pyrimidines with two or more tautomeric groups... 

The NMR spectra of pyrimidines bearing tautomeric groups (NH2, OH, SH) in the 2-, 4- or 6-position are discussed in connexion with the tautomerism of such pyrimidines (Section 2.13.1.8). 

Since IR spectra are essentially due to vibrational transitions, many substituents with single bonds or isolated double bonds give rise to characteristic absorption bands within a limited frequency range in contrast, the absorption due to conjugated multiple bonds is usually not characteristic and cannot be ascribed to any particular grouping. Thus IR spectra afford reference data for identification of pyrimidines, for the identification of certain attached groups and as an aid in studying qualitatively the tautomerism (if any) of pyrimidinones, pyrimidinethiones and pyrimidinamines in the solid state or in non-protic solvents (see Section 2.13.1.8). 

Barbituric acid — see also Pyrimidine-2,4,6-trione, perhydro-acidic pK, 3, 60 bromination, 3, 70 fluorination, 3, 70 structure, 3, 68 tautomerism, 2, 27 in thermography, 1, 392 Barbituric acid, iV-alkyl-chlorination, 3, 70 Barbituric acid, 5-aminomethylene-synthesis, 3, 524 Barbituric acid, 5-arylidene-pyridopyrimidines from, 3, 227 Barbituric acid, 1,3-dicyclohexyl-synthesis, 3, 113 Barbituric acid, 2-thio-sensitizing dye... 

Benzopyridodiazines, 3, 199-262 Benzo-2-pyridone tautomerism, 2, 346 Benzo-4-pyridone tautomerism, 2, 346 Benzopyridones acylation, 2, 352 alkylation, 2, 349 Benzopyrido[3,2-ii]pyrimidine reactions... 

Pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine, 4-amino-tautomerism, 5, 310 Pyrazolopyrimidinediones synthesis, 5, 324 Pyrazolopyrimidines acidity, 5, 309 anions... 

Pyrazolopyrimidines, amino-acidity, 5, 309 alkylation, 5, 310 N-oxide synthesis, 5, 324 synthesis, 4, 525 5, 328 Pyrazolopyrimidines, dimethyl-synthesis, 5, 316 Pyrazolo[ 1,5-a]pyrimidines electrophilic attack, 5,311 synthesis, 5, 271, 320, 331 Pyrazolo[ 1,5-c]pyrimidines electrophilic attack, 5, 312 Pyrazolo[3,4- d]pyrimidines nucleophilic attack, 5, 313 synthesis, 5, 161, 272, 323, 334 tautomerism, 5, 309 Pyrazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidines alkylation, 5, 310 synthesis, 5, 272... 

The aromaticity of the pyrimidine and purine ring systems and the electron-rich nature of their —OH and —NHg substituents endow them with the capacity to undergo keto-enol tautomeric shifts. That is, pyrimidines and purines exist as tautomeric pairs, as shown in Figure 11.6 for uracil. The keto tautomer is called a lactam, whereas the enol form is a lactim. The lactam form vastly predominates at neutral pH. In other words, pA) values for ring nitrogen atoms 1 and 3 in uracil are greater than 8 (the pAl, value for N-3 is 9.5) (Table 11.1). 

Hydroxypyrimidine (89a) can tautomerize to two alternative 0X0 forms, 90 (R = H) and 91 (R = H). The infrared solution spectra of pyrimidin-2- and -4-one clearly indicate the presence of both C=0 and NH groups, and by using these spectra Mason demonstrated that pyrimidin-4-one existed predominantly in the o-quinonoid... 

P3Timidines, and pyrido[4,3-< ]pyrimidines. The experimentally determined values have been used for studies of covalent hydration, structural assignments, - and tautomerism. -... 

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of all four parent compounds have been measured and analyzed.The powerful potentialities of NMR as a tool in the study of covalent hydration, tautomerism, or protonation have, however, as yet received no consideration for the pyridopyrimidines. NMR spectra have been used to distinguish between pyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidines. and isomeric N-bridgehead compounds such as pyrimido[l,2- ]pyrimidines and in several other structural assignments (cf. 74 and 75). 

The methods outlined, of course, are readily applicable to a wide variety of substituted heterocycles like the carboxyl, hydroxy and mercapto derivatives of pyridines, pyridine 1-oxides, pyrroles, etc. The application to amines and to diaza compounds such as pyrimidine, where the two centers are basic, is obvious except that now 23 takes the role of the neutral compound, 21 and 22 the roles of the tautomeric first conjugate bases, and 20 the role of the second conjugate base. Extensions to molecules with more than two acidic or basic centers, such as aminonicotinic acid, pyrimidinecarboxylic acids, etc., are obvious although they tend to become algebraically cumbersome, involving (for three centers) three measurable Kg s, four Ay s, and fifteen ideal dissociation constants (A ), a total of twenty-two constants of which seven are independent. 

Tliis is one of the most actively developing and closely watched fields of heterocyclic tautomerism—only the study of purines and pyrimidines is of comparable contemporary interest. Tire number of references is so high that many relevant works have had to be neglected, whereas in other sections of this chapter relatively minor contributions have been commented on because they pertained to a field where few contributions are available. Tire selection criteria were (1) all pertinent authors are quoted at least once, (2) full papers are preferred to communications or letters, and (3) recent works are preferred to earlier ones because they usually quote the previous publications. 

MO studies (AMI and AMI-SMI) on the tautomerism and protonation of 2-thiopurine have been reported [95THE(334)223]. Heats of formation and relative energies have been calculated for the nine tautomeric forms in the gas phase. Tire proton affinities were determined for the most stable tautomers 8a-8d. Tire pyrimidine ring in the thiones 8a and 8b has shown a greater proton affinity in comparison with the imidazole ring, or with the other tautomers. In solution, the thione tautomers are claimed to be more stabilized by solvent effects than the thiol forms, and the 3H,1H tautomer 8b is the most stable. So far, no additional experimental data or ab initio calculations have been reported to confirm these conclusions. 

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