Further studies on the cyclisation of 3-hydroxy-2'-nitrodiphenyl ethers and related compounds

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0040-4020(80)80079-2

The reductive cyclisation of 4,6-dimethyl and 4,6-dichloro derivatives of 3-hydroxy-2'-nitrodiphenyl ethers has been examined as a potential route to 1H-phenoxazinones. Unexpectedly, cyclisation of the dichloro compound proceeded with loss of a Cl and yielded 2-chloro-3H-phenoxazin-3-one. The cyclisation of a range of analogous substrates has been investigated and shown to provide novel and convenient syntheses of 3-amino-phenoxazine, 3H-phenothiazin-3-one and 8-hydroxy-5,10-dihydro-11H-dibenzo[b,e][1,4]diazepin-11-one.