Synthesis of Substituted Imidazo[1,5-<i>a</i>]pyrazines via Mono-, Di-, and Directed Remote Metalation Strategies

Imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazines 1 undergo regioselective C3-metalation and C5/C3-dimetalation to afford a range of functionalized derivatives 2a−2g (Table ), and 4a−4d (Table ). Under similar conditions, the C3-methyl derivatives 2a and 5 undergo surprising regioselective C5-deprotonation to afford, after electrophile quench, products 4b and 6a−6p (Table ), results that are rationalized by quantum mechanical calculations. Benzamide 7b, obtained from such metalation chemistry followed by Suzuki cross coupling, undergoes directed remote metalation-cyclization to afford 8, representing the hitherto unknown triazadibenzo[cd,f]azulen-7(6H)-one tricyclic ring system.