Synthesis of substituted 5-bromomethyl-4-nitroimidazoles and use for the preparation of the hypoxia-selective multikinase inhibitor SN29966

5-Bromomethyl-4-nitroimidazoles have utility as bioreductive trigger precursors for the preparation of hypoxia-selective prodrugs. Here we describe an efficient two-step synthesis of 5-(bromomethyl)-1-methyl-4-nitro-1H-imidazole, a preferred precursor, employing an N-bromosuccinimide mediated radical bromination. Use of this precursor to prepare SN29966, a promising hypoxia-selective irreversible pan-ErbB inhibitor is reported along with the preparation of four other prodrug candidates. 5-Bromomethyl-4-nitroimidazole analogues bearing electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents at the N-1 and C-2 positions are also described.