An efficient method for the synthesis of imidazo[1,5-a]quinoxalines from 3-acylquinoxalinones and benzylamines via a novel imidazoannulation

The reaction of 3-aroylquinoxalin-2(1H)-ones and their N-alkyl analogues with benzylamines in DMSO proceeds through an intermediate formation of N-(α-quinoxalinylbenzylydene)benzylamine, which when subjected to oxidative cyclocondensation gives imidazo[1,5-a]quinoxalines. Applying this new approach of imidazoannullation to the bis-3-aroylquinoxalines makes it possible to develop fundamentally new methods of the synthesis of bis-imidazo[1,5-a]quinoxalines with the use of different benzylamines and heteromacrocycles with the 1,3-bis(3-arylimidazo[1,5-a]quinoxalin-1-yl)benzene structural fragment when m-xylylenediamine is used.