Synthesis of some 1,3-disubstituted imidazo[1,5-a]pyridines using 2-cyanopyridine

Heating 2-cyanopyridine and hydrazine hydrate at 100 °C and reheating the resultant liquid with pyridine-2-carboxaldehyde yielded a red semi-solid. On adding aqueous KOH, a mixture of 1-(3,5-bis(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazolyl)-3-(2-pyridyl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyridine (2a) and 1-((2-pyridyl)methanimine)-3-(2-pyridyl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyridine (2b) precipitated and from the filtrate 3,5-bis(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole (1) was isolated. Similar compounds were obtained from two other pyridinecarboxaldehydes.