Synthesis, reactions, and antioxidant activity of 3-(pyrrol-1-yl)-4,6-dimethyl selenolo[2,3-b]pyridine derivatives

Ethyl 4,6-dimethyl-3-(pyrrol-1-yl) selenolo[2,3-b]pyridine-2-carboxylate (2) was synthesized by the reaction of previously prepared ethyl 3-amino-4,6-dimethyl selenolo[2,3-b]pyridine-2-carboxylate (1) with 2,5-dimethoxytetrahydrofuran in acetic acid. The pyrrolyl ester (2) was converted into the corresponding carbohydrazide 3 which reacted with acetyl acetone, aromatic aldehydes, carbon disulfide in pyridine, and sodium nitrite to afford the corresponding dimethyl pyrazolyl 4, arylidene carbohydrazides 5a–d, oxadiazolyl thiole 6, and caboazide compound 8, respectively. The carboazide 8 reacted with different alcohols and amines to give the corresponding carbamates 9a–c and the aryl urea derivatives 10a–d. Heating of carboazide 8 in dry xylene afforded the pyridoselenolo-pyrrolopyrazinone 11. The latter compound was used as a versatile starting precursor for synthesis of other pyridoselenolo-pyrrolopyrazine compounds. The newly synthesized compounds and their derivatives were characterized by elemental analysis and spectroscopy (IR, ¹H-NMR, and mass spectra). Some of the newly synthesized pyrrolyl selenolopyridine compounds showed remarkable antioxidant activity compared to ascorbic acid.