Purines. LXIX. Direct N(1)-Oxidation of 7-Benzyladenine and Stepwise Syntheses of Its N(1)- and N(3)-Oxides

In contrast to the N(3)-selectivity in N-alkylation, N-oxidation of 7-benzyladenine (17) with m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid in MeOH has been found to give 7-benzyladenine 1-oxide (18) in 76% yield. Alternatively, the same N-oxide (18) has been synthesized in 81% yield from 1-benzyl-4-(ethoxymethyleneamino)imidazole-5-carbonitrile(19) and hydroxylamine. Treatment of 1-benzyl-4-(hydroxyamino)imidazole-5-carbonitrile (24), obtained in 63% yield from the corresponding 4-nitro drivative (20) by catalytic hydrogenation (Pt/H2), with formamidine acetate in boiling EtOH furnished 7-benzyladenine 3-oxyde (23) in 78% yield. A UV spectroscopic approach indicated that the neutral species of 18 exists in H2O in the N(1)-oxide form rather than the N(1)-OH form (27).