Facile synthesis of 5-amino- and 7-amino-6-azaoxindole derivatives

An efficient approach for the formation of 5-amino- and 7-amino-6-azaoxindole derivatives was developed. 2-Amino-4-chloro-3-nitropyridine (8), and its 5-nitro-substituted regioisomer (9), respectively, were obtained by reaction with ethyl malonate. The resulting 2-amino-3/5-nitropyridine derivatives substituted in the 4-position with malonic acid diethyl ester (10, 11) were subjected to reductive cyclization yielding 3-ethoxycarbonyl-6-azaoxindole derivatives 4a and 5a. Protection of the amino function was not required. Intermediates 10 and 11 could also be converted to the corresponding 4-acetic acid ethyl esters 12 and 13 by dealkoxycarbonylation with LiCl, and subsequently cyclized under reductive conditions yielding 3-unsubstituted 5-/7-aminooxazindoles.