CA1236470A - Chroman compounds - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Novel compounds of the formula:

where R is a halogen at the 5-and/or 8-position and x is 0, 1 or 2 and their methods of preparation are disclosed. The compounds are intermediates for preparing novel products of the formula:

which products are alpha2-antagonists useful in the treatment of depression. The products are obtained in high yield, exhibit no evidence of toxicity in animal trials and may be administered in a variety of forms.

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Description

CHROMP~N CGMPOUNI)S ICI Am 1609A
This application is a divi~1On of Ser~al No.
443,479 filed December 16, 19~3.
BA~GROUND OF THE INVENTION

5 Field of the Invention The present ~n~ent~on co~prises chroman compounds which are useful as anti-depresssnts as well as in other disease states which are allevlated by b.Lockade of alpha2-adrenoreceptors ~ adrenoreceptors), pharmaceutical co~positions containing such compounds, processes for their synthesis, novel intermediates used in such syntheses and methods for treatment using s~ch compounds and pharmaceutieal compos~tions.

Description of the Prior Art United States Patent No. 2,979,511 purports to disclose compounds of the following formula IA):

~ ~ (C~2 ~x -C~ /(CHR5 ) y and acid-addition salts of those compounds which contain a basic nitrogen atom, wherein Rl and R2 are the same or diffrrent and represent hydrogen, hydroxy, halogen, tri1uoro-methyl, nitro, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl or lower alkoxy; R , R4 ~nd RS are the same or different and represent hydro~en or lower alkyl, x is zero or one, y is zero or one, snd Z 15 -NH-~,f ';, ~23~

or -N(lower alkyl)-. The compounds are said to be peripheral va~odilators. Among the compounds purportedly described in that specification i~ 2-[2-(1,4-benzodioxanyl)3-2-imidazoline hydrochloride (Example 1 of the patent), which has the following for~ula (B):
~o ~7 .HCl o However, it is stated in European patent application NQ.
81300427.2 ~Publication No. 33655) that that compound is not in fact obtained by the method described in Example 1 of U.S.
10 Patent No. 2,979,511, and that the compound actually obtained by that method is 2-methyl-2-~2-(1,3-benzodioxolyl)] 2-imidazoline hydorchloride, which has the following forDula (C):

.HCl ~ ~3 (C) Said European patent application describes and claims 2-12-(1,4-benzodioxanyl)~-2-imidazoline and non-toxic salts thereof, substantially free of 2-methyl-2-[2-(1,3-benzodioxolyl)]-2-imldazoline or a non-toxic salt thereof, and proce6ses for the prepara~ion thereof. It is stated in said European patent applieation that the benzodioxanyl derivatives in question have a high degree o selectivity in blocking presynaptic alpha2-adrenoreceptor6.
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S~1ARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention there are provided chroman compolmds of the following formula N

(R) ~ ~ (1) S wherein R is a halogen attached to the 5- and/or 8-position of the molecule; and x is 0, 1, or 2; and the pharmaceutically-acceptable acid-addition salts thereo.
Also according to the present invention there are provided novel pharmaceutical compositions comprising at least one compound of the formula (I) and a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier, processes for making compounds of the formula (I), novel intermediates, and methods of treatment of depression which comprise administering to a warm-blooded animal in need of such treatment a pharmaceutically-effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition of thi~ invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Formula (I) compounds may be described as 2-imidazolin-?-yl chromans.
Particular values for R include fluoro, chloro, bromo and iodo, especially fluoro.

Preferred values of x are 0 and 1, and it is to be understood that when x is 2, the halogens may be the same or different.
When a single halogen substituent R is present, it is at the 5- or 8-position, preferably at the 5-position. When two halogen substituents are present, they are at the 5- and 8-positions.
Particular acid-addition salts include non-toxic pharmaceutically~acceptable salts formed by reaction of the freè base with inorganic acids such as hydrochloric, sulfuric or phosphoric and organic acids such as lower alkylcarboxylic acids or diacids such as acetic, propionic, malonic, succinic, fumaric, tar~aric, citric or cinnamic.
Due to the presence of the asymmetric carbon atom at the 2-position of the chroman nucleus, the compounds of the formula (I) may exist in the form of optical isomers. It is to be understood that the present invention includes all such optical isomers which exhibit the above-mentioned biological activity.
The compounds of formula (I) may be prepared from the corresponding chroman-2-carboxylic acid of the following formula (II):

(R~x ~ COOH (II) The chroman-2-carboxylic acid (II) is converted to the corresponding chroman-2-carboxamide (III) by methods known ~2~6~

in the art to convert carboxylic acids to amides, e.g., by first converting the acid to the acid chloride and reaction with ammonia, or by first preparing an activated species for example by treatment of the acid with l,l'-carbonyldi-5 imidazole and reaction of the activated species with ammonia.The resulting chroman-2-carboxamide has the following formula (III):

~ ON~2 ~R~ ~ (III) Reaction of the amide (III) with a dehydrating agent lO such as phosphorus oxychloride yields the corresponding chroman-2-carbonitrile of the following formula (IV~:

~ ~ J ~IV) Reaction of the nitrile (IV) with ethylenediamine yields the corresponding compound of the formula (I).
Alternatively, the nitrile may be converted to the - corresponding imidate ester function of the formula -C(=NH)0-alkyl by reactions corresponding to those set forth in United Kingdom Published Patent Application 2,068,376, followed by L

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reaction with e~hylenediamine. The product of the reaction is an imidazoline compound of the formula (I).
In more detail, the acid (II) may be prepared by either the Phenoxylactone Route described by D. T. Witiak et S al. in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Vol. 14, No. 8, pages 758-766 (1971) or by the Acetophenone Route as described by V. A. Zagorevskii et al. in Chemical Abstracts, Vol. 55, 22301f (1961) for the chromone-2-carboxylic acid and by J.
Augstein et al. in the Journal of rledicinal Chemistry, Vol. 11, 10 pages 844-R48 (1968) for the chroman-2-carboxylic acid as summarized below:
Phencxvl~ctone Route _---- O

(R )x ~ ~ ~ ~ RI)~ ~ .U ~

~ o~r~C03H ~ ~ COOH
(R1 ~St ~ (R1) ~ 11 ~
. ~ ~ ~ COOH
O ~ ,~
~cetophenone Route (R)x ~
~ 0~ oOR3 ~ 2 ~ O~),COOH
lS ~R~)~ ~ ~ f ~3 ~ } ~ ~

In the above routes ? X is as defined for for~ula (I); R is any of the definitions of R; R2 is fluorine attached to the 5-and/or 8- position of the molecule (since the catalytic hydro~enation of the chromone tends to also remove chlorine, ~3~

bromine or iodlne)i and R3 is alkyl, e.g., lower alkyl such as methyl or ethyl. In the phenoxvlactone route, meta placement of an R1 group on the starting phenol will produce 2 isomers, i.e. 9 the 5- And 7-substituted chroman, and such isomers may be readily separated by techniques such as crysta:Llization or high pressure liquid chromatography. The phenoxy'actone route should be used when 5,8-difluoro--(2-imidazolin-2-yl)chroman (the compound of formula I where R=5- and 8-fluoro and x=2) is desired.
The chroman-2-carboxylic acid (II) with the desired P~
substitution on the benzene ring may be converted to the corresponding chroman-2-carboxamide (III), the unsubstituted chroman being described by J. Augstein et al. in United ~ingdom Yatent 1,004,468, August 1, 1963 and in Chemical ~bstracts 63:18036e (1965), by reaction with a source of -NH2, e.g., directly with ammonia at elevated temperature or through an activated species such as the acid chloride or by reaction with l,l'-carbonyldiimidazole which may be obtained from Aldrich Chemical Co. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as described above.
Chroman-2-carbonitrile (IV) may be obtained fron the carboxamide (III) by reaction with a dehydrating agent such as phosphorus pentoxide, phosphorlls pentachloride, thionyl chloride or phosphorus oxychloride, neat or in an aprotic solvent such as tetrachloroethane or toluene, at a temperature of about 80 to 120C. Reaction of the nitrile (IV) with ethylenediamine with a catalyst such as hydrogen sulfide or carbon disulfide, the use Oc such catalysts being described by R. J. Ferm et al. in Chemical Reviews, Vol. 54, pages 593-613 (1954) and by L. H. Werner et al. in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Vol. 8, pages 74-80 (1965), neat or in a solvent such as toluene, preferably neat, at a temperature of 60 to . ~

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120C yields the desired 2-(2-imidazolin-2-yl)chroman (I).
This reaction is conveniently carried out in an inert atmosphere, for example under nitrogen.
Also part of the present invention are novel intermediates such as the chroman-2-carbonitriles (I~
The role of alpha~-adrenoreceptors in t~.e disease states such as depression, cardiac failure and excessive bronchoconstriction, e.g., to alleviate asthma and hav fever in humans, has been described in European ~ublished Patent Application No. 33,655 issued August 22, 1981, in particular ~he compound RX 781094 described therein, and by D. S. Charney in Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, Vol. 38, pages 1160-1180 (1981). The compounds of the present invention are potent alpha2-antagonists and are thus useful in the treatment of disease states such as depression as set forth by P. Timmermans et al. in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Vol. 25, No. 12, pages 1389-1401 (198?.) and as evidenced by tests which are described below.
Measurement of alpha2-antagonism, and thus of utility as an antidepressive pharmaceutical, is shown in the following tests.
Tritiated Yohimbine Rinding Assay: This test measures the affinity of alpha2-agonists and alpha2-antagonists for the alpha~ binding site in human platelets, which is believed to be similar to the alpha~ binding site in the human brain. The test does not rigorously distinguish between alpha2-a~onists and alpha2-antagonists but provides a measure of the intrinsic potency of such compounds at the alpha2 binding site. Compounds found active are subsequently categorized as alpha2-agonists or alpha2-antagonists on the basis of their activities in the Audiogenic Seizure, Clonidine ~3~

Hypoactivity and Locus Coeruleus Tests described below. The test is conducted as described by M. Daiguji et al. in Life Sciences, Vol. 28, pages 2705-2717 (1981). Platelets are washed and disrupted as described in the Daiguji article. The amount of platelet used per assay varies between 0.2 to 1.5 mg of protein. The binding assay consists of 1 ml of 50 millimolar Tris hydrochloride (pH=7.0 at 25~C), 1 ml of platelet preparation and 20 microliters of 2 x 10 10 molar tritiated yohimbine. For the determination of non-specific binding, 20 microliters of 10 millimolar norepinephrine is used. The incubation is conducted at 25C for 60 minutes, after which the membranes are filtered under vacuum on a GF/B
filter. The ~ilters are then counted in a scintillation counter. The ~C50 values for compounds (I) of this invention were: the compound of Example lc, 34 nanomolar; the compound of Example 2e, 3.8 nanomolar; the compound of Example 3e, 53.5 nanomolar. The IC50 for yohimbine, a reference agent and a known alpha2-antagonist, is 2 nanomolar. IC50 is the concentration of test compound that will cause a 50% re~uction of the specific binding for 3H-yohimbine. It is known that if an alpha2-agonist Gr alpha2-antagonist binds to alpha2 sites, such will be displaced more easily by a compound which is also of the same type, i.e., an agonist or antagonlst, respectively.
H-Clonidine Bindin~ AssaY. On a tritiated clonidine ., , binding assay, as described by A. Salama et al. in Llfe Sciences, Vol. 30, pages 1305-1311 (1982), the IC50 of the compound of the present invention produced in Example lc is 110 nanomolar which indicates that the compound is an alpha2-antagonist rather than an alpha2-a~onist.
Audiogenic Seizure (AS): Sound-produced seizures in mice are blocked by clonidine, an alpha -agonist, and such a :~3~

model may be used to measure the activity of a particular compound as an alpha2-antagonist, specifically as it decreases clonidine activity. The activity of clonidine in this regard and its relationship to alpha2-receptors is described by R.
Horton et al. in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental ~herapeutics, Vol. 214, No. 2, pages 437-442 (1980). DBA-~mice (20-22 days of age; 8 to 12 g) are used in these studies.
Mice are tested individually in a glass bell jar (11~ inches high and 12 inches in diameter) which is placed in a sound-attenuated chamber. An electric bell is used to generate anoise level of 116-118 ~ecibels. Mice are allowed to acclimate to the chamber for 30 seconds and are then exposed to the sound for 60 seconds. The auditory stimulation causes a convulsive episode characterized by wild running, clonus, tonus and death.
Clonidine (0.4 mg/kg of body weight, i.p.), an alpha2-noradrenergic agonist, injected 30 minutes prior to auditorv stimulation, will protect 100~ of the mice from audiogenic seizures. The protective effect of the alpha2-agonist can be reversed by pretreatment with agents that are preferentially alpha2-antagonists, e.g., yohimbine. Thus, the test compound is dissolved in a hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HP~IC) vehicle consisting of 0.1% Tween~ 80 and 0.~ hydroxypropylmethyl-cellulose in an 0.9% by weight sodium chloride aqueous solution and injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) into the mouse. (TweenC
is a registered trademark of ICI Americas Inc., Wilmin~ton, Delaware, USA, for emulsifiers, wetting and dispersing agents.
Tween~ 80 is polyoxyethylene sorbitan mono-oleate). After one hour, the mouse is challenged with clonidine intraperitoneallv at 0.4 mglkg of body weight. After a further 30 minutes, the mouse is subjected to a tone from a high intensity bell and ~he mouse is observed for seizure activity. The activity is scored ~36~

on the basis of whether clonic and/or tonic seizures occur.
Minimal effective doses (MED) for compounds o the invention, i.e., the compounds of Examples lc, 2e, and 3e, and for the compound of European Published Patent Application 33,655, i.e., RX 781094, are reported in Table 1 below.
Clonidine Hypoactivity (CH) Test: This is an in vivo test to deter~ine the ability of the test compound to antagonize the effect of clonidine, an alpha2-agonist which produces a potent suppression of spontaneous locomotor activity. The suppression can be prevented by administration of an alpha2-antagonist as described by J. Malick et al. in Federation Proceedin~s, VoL. 40, page 244 (1~1), a publication of the Federation of the American Societies o~ Experimental Biology. Male Sprague-Dawley (HLA) rats, weighing 140 to 180 g, were used throughout these studies. Spontaneous locomotor activity was measured in Animex activity monitors supplied by Columbus Instruments, Columbus, Ohio; groups o~ three animals were placed in a chamber of clear "Plexiglas", 26.5 x 26.5 x 15 cm for the test. ("Plexiglas" is a trademark of Rohm & Haas Co., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, for thermoplastic polymethyl methacrylate type polymers and plastic sheets). All animals received two injections prior to testing according to the following paradigm: vehicle (HPMC~ or antagonist was administered subcutaneously 30 minutes prior to intraperitoneal administration of either HPMC or clonidine. As a result of several pilot studies, 0.01 mg/kg of bodv weight of clonidine given i.p., was chosen as a standard dose; this was the lowest dose that consistently produced a statistically significant reduction in motor activity. Animals were placed into the motor activity chambers as soon as possible after the second injection and total activity counts were recorded for 20 ~236~

minutes. Five groups of 3 rats each were used for each dose of drug or control. Results were statistically evaluated by comparing the drug-treated groups to the appropriate same-day vehicle-treated group and the clonidine-treated group using the Student's t-test. ~linimal effective dosages for the compoun~s of the invention produced in EY~amples lc, 2e and 3e, and for compound RX 781094 (all in mg/kg of body weight, subcutaneously) are given in Table 1 below.
Mouse Learned Helplessnesc Swimming test (~LHS): The MLHS test is predictive of antidepressant activity in a compound as described by R.D. Porsolt in the Chapter "Behavioral Despair" in "Antidepressants. Neurochemical, Behavioral, and Clinical Pcrspectives", Edited by S. J. Enna et al., pages 121-139, Raven Press, ~ew York (1981). In the one-trial mouse learned helplessness swimming test, drugs are typically administered intraperitoneally one hour before exposing the mouse to an inescapable situation, i.e., a "Plexiglas" jar half-filled with water. During testing, a mouse is gently placed ir, the water and tested for a total of 6 minutes as follows: during the first 2 minutes the animal quickly "learns" there is no escape and spends the vast majority of the last 4 minutes floating (tonic immobi].ity).
~othing is recorded during the first 2 minutes (learnir.~, period) but the time in seconds spent in tonic immobility during the last 4 minutes of the session is recorded.
Typically, controls average between 2Q0-220 seconds of the total 240 seconds in tonic immobility. Control (vehicle-treated) groups are run each day and drug-treated groups are compared to these via a Student's t-test. Effective an,i-depressants will significantly reduce the time spent in tonic immobility. Minimal effective doses (mg/kg of body wei~ht . . .

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i.p.~ for compounds of this invention (Examples lc, 2e and 3e) and for imipramine, a known anti-depressant, are given in Table 1 below.

Table l Minimal effective doses (MED), mg/kg of body weight, in audiogenic seizure (AS~, clonidine hyperactivity (CH), and mouse learned helplessness swim~.ing (ML~S) tests.

Test AS CH MLHS
Compound (i.p.) (s.c.) (i.p.) Test compounds:
Example lc 5 0.3 10 Example 2e 1 0.5 30 Example 3e 3~ IA 30 Comparison compounds:
RX 781094 2.5 0.03 XA
Imipramine IA IA 7.5 * Approximate IA denotes essentially inactive in this test i.p. denotes intraperitoneal administration s.c. denotes subcutaneous administration All three test compounds showed some alpha2-antagonist activity. The most active compounds, as shown by the test results taken collectively, were 2-~2-imidazolin-2-yl)-5-fluorochroman (the compound of Example 2e) and 2-(2-imidazolin-2-yl)chroman (the compound of Example lc) in the order named.
Locus Coeruleus Test: The locus coeruleus test for alpha2-antagonist activity is predictive of antidepressant , :.

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activity as described by G. Engberg et al. in Communications in Psychopharmacology, Vol. 4, pages 233-239 (1980). The alpha2-antagonistic properties of a test agent are decermined as follows: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (280-320 g) are anestheti~ed with sodium pentobarbital (60 mg/kg of body weight, i.p.) and placed in a stereotaxic instrument to allow precise location of the electrode in the locus coeruleus. Extracellular single unit activity is recorded from the locus coeruleus using stainless steel or tungsten microelectr,odes (2-5 megohm impedance). Extracellular potentials are counted during successive lO second intervals and recorded on a digital counter. The baseline firing rate o each neuron is determined for 3 to 5 minutes before dru~ administration. Drugs are injected intravenously in a volume of O.l ml; data are collected for 2 to 3 minutes between multiple drug injections.
The ability of a tesc agent to reverse the suppressant effects of clonidine, and the total cumulative dose of clonidine required to override the test agent, are indicative of alpha2-antagonistic properties. In this test, ]0 micrograms/kg of body weight of clonidine were administered by infusion intravenously to suppress firing. Yohimbine, an alpha2-antagonist, reinstated firing when infused at 2.0 mg/kg of body weight i.v. Subsequently, 160 micrograms/kg of body weight of clonidine were required to re-suppress firing. In contrast, the compounds of Examples lc and 2e reins~ated firing at the same level, but much larger amounts of clonidine, i.e., l280 micrograms/kg of body weight (compound of Example lc), and 2560 mg/kg (compound of Example 2e), were required to re-suppress firing.
None of the compounds of the formula (I) which have been tested in the above-mentioned tests has exhibited any ~2~

signs of toxicitv in the mouse at dosages up to 30 mg/kg administered intraperitoneally.
Compounds of the present invention may be administered in the form of an oral, rectal or parenteral dosage, e.g., as a tablet, capsule, solution or suspension, by compounding methods known in the pharmaceutical art. The compounds may be used singly, in combination with each other, in combination with another active ingredient, such as a tricyclic antidepressant, for example imipramine, or with an anti-anxiety agent, e.g., diazepam, or with an inert, pharmaceutically-acceptable binder, excipient or diluent as known in the art. For depression, compounds of the lnvention would be given at an oral dosage o~ about S to 30 mgtkg o:E body weight per day in single or multiple administration. Th~ls, for an average human in need of treatment for depression, about 300 to 1800 mg per dav of a compound of the present invention would be administered orally, e.g., divided into 4 equal doses. If the co~pound is to be given intramuscularly, the dosage would be about 5 to 30 mgtkg of body weight per day, e.g., divided into 4 equal doses.
The following examples illustrate the preparation of compounds (I) of this invention and ~intermediates. In the following examples and throughout the specification, the following abbreviations are used: mg (milligrams); g (grams);
C tdegrees Centigrade); kg (kilograms); ml (milliliters); mp (melting point); i.p. (intraperitoneal); cm (centimetersj; i.v.
(intravenously); and C, H, N, O, etc. (the conventional symbols for the elements).

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Example 1 a. Chroman-2-carboxamid_ (Formula III; x=0) (1) To 5.00 g (0.02&1 mole) of chroman-2-carboxylic acid and 4.55 g (0.0281 mole) of 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole was added 100 ml of dry tetrahydrofuran and the solution was s~irred at reflux under nitrogen for 1 hour. The mixture was then cooled to room temperature and gaseous am~onia was bubbled through the stirred solution for 0.5 hour. The solvent was removed in vacuo and the residue treated with water. ~he resulting white solid weighed 3.56 g (71% yield), mp 126.5 to 127.5C (literature mp 125-6C, J. Augstein, A. ~1. Monro ancl T.
I. Wrigley British Patent 1,004,468 (August 21, 1963) to Pfizer Ltd.; Chemical Abstracts 63:18036e (1965)).

(2) To a solution of 36.92 g (0.228 mole) of 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole in 800 ml of dry tetrahydrofuran was addedportionwise 40.57 g (0.228 mole) of chroman-2-carboxylic acid and the mixture was stirred at reflux under nitrogen for 1 hour. The reaction mixture was then cooled (ice-bath) and gaseous ammonia bubbled through the~solution for 25 minutes.
The solvent was removed in vacuo and the residue triturated with 400 ml of water. The resulting white solid weighed 33.70 g (84% yield), mp 125.5-127.5C (literature mp 125-6C, J.
Augstein et al, see above).

b. Chroman-2-carbonitrile (Formula IV; x=0) (1) A stirred solution of 3.38 g (0.0191 mole) chroman-2-carboxamide in 65 ml of dry toluene was treated with ~36~

-l7-8.77 g (0.0572 ~ole) of phosphorus oxychloride and the mixture heated at reflux for 0.5 hour. The cooled reaction mixture was treated with ice and water, the layers separated and the aqueous phase extracted wi.h three 200 ml portions of ethyl acetate. The combined organic phase was washed wi~h satur2ted sodium chloride solution ard dried over MgSO4. The solution was filtered and evaporated to yield a green oil. Kugelrohr distillation at 85~C (bath temperature) (0.005 torr) returned 2.83 g (93%) of yellow oil. 0 Anal. Cal. for CloH9NO (159.19): C, 75.45; H, 5.70; N, 8.80 Found: C, 74.11; H, 5.72; N, 8.51 (2) ~ stirred slurry of 33.60 g (0.19 mole) of chroman-2-carboxamide in 650 ml of dr~ toluene was treated with 87.2 g (0.57 mole) of phosphorus oxychloride and the mixture heated at reflux for 0.5 hour. The cooled reaction mixture was treated with ice and water, the layers separated and the aqueous phase extracted with four 700 ml portions of ethyl acetate. The combined organic phase was washed with saturated sodium chloride solution and dried over MgSO4. The solution was filtered and evaporated to yield a black oil. Kugelrohr distillation at 110-130C (bath temp~erature) (0.25 torr) gave 26.23 g of colorless oil which was chromatographed by the flash chromatography method, see W. C. Still et al. in the Journal of Organic Chemistry, Vol. 43, page 2923 (197~), on a 7"x2~"
diameter column of silica gel (E. Merck No. 9385, 400-230 mesh) using toluene as eluent. Evaporation O r the appropriate fractions returned 10.23 g ~34% yield) pure chroman-2-carbonitrile as a colorless oil.
Anal. Cal. for CloHgNO (159.19): Cl 75.45; H, 5.70; N, 8.80 Found: C, 75.22; H, 5.92; N, 9.01 ~3~

c. 2-(2-Imida~olin-2-yl)chroman (Formula I; x=0) (1) A stirred mixture of 1.30 g (0.0082 mole) of chroman-2-carbonitrile, 0.99 g (0.0164 mole) of ethylenediamline and 2 drops of carbon disulfide was heated at 90C under ll2 for 18 hours. The resulting yellow oil was combined with reaction product from an earlier run (0.20 g (0.0013 mole) of chroman-2-carbonitrile) and the total chromatographed by the flash chromatography method on a 7"xl" diamet,er column of silica gel (E. Merck No. 9385, 400-230 mesh) using 20~ methanol in chloroform as eluent. Evaporation of the appropriate fractions returned 1.32 g of pale yellow solid which was dissolved in warm absolute ethanol and ~reated with excess ethereal hydrogen chloride. The resulting white hvdrochloride salt of 2-(2-imidazolin-2-yl)chroman weighed 1.2~ g (54% yield), mp 255-7C.
Anal. Cal. for C12~14N2O.HCl (238.72): C, 60.38; H, 6.33; ~, 11.74; Cl, 14.85 Found: C, 60.44; H, 6.43; N, 11.65; Cl, 15.18.

(2) A stirred mixture of 7.87 g (0.049 mole) of chroman-2-carbonitrile, 5.89 g (0.098 mole) of ethylenediamine and 5 dro~s of carbon disulfide was heated at 70C under nitrogen for 18 hours. The resulting yellow oil was treated with a total of 250 ml refluxing hexane and the clear hexane solution decanted from a small amount of insoluble viscous yellow oil. Four crops of solid were taken from the hexane solution; 7.10 g, mp 88.5-90.5C, 1.37 g, mp 86.5-88.5, 0.62 g, mp 85-88C and 0.07 g, mp 83.5-85C. Total yield was 9.16 g (92% yield) of white solid.

Anal- Cal- for C12~14N2O (202.26): C, 71.26; ~, 6.98; N 13 85 Found: C, 71.09; H, 6.83; ~1, 13.79 Treatment of an ethereal solution of 8.10 g (0.04 mole) of the above free base with ethereal hydrogen chloride returned 9.20 g 5 (96% yleld) of white hydrochloride salt, mp 260.5-262.5C.
Anal. C21. for C12Y14~2O HCl(238-72): C, 60.38; H, 6-33; ~, 11.74, Cl, 14.85 Found: C, 60.11; H, 6.37; N, 11.78; Cl, 14.73 E~

a 5-Fluoro-4-oxo-~t~ benzopyran-2-carboxylic acid To a stirred solution of sodium ethoxide in ethanol (from 7.88 g (0.343 mole) of sodium and 207 ml of absolute ethanol), under a nitrogen atmosphere, was added a solution of 12.19 g (0.079 mole) of 2-fluoro-6-hydroxyacetophenone and 25.43 g (0.174 mole) of diethyl oxalate at such a rate as to initiate and maintair. a mild reflux. The solution was refluxed for an additionzl 0~5 hour and the solvent distilled off in vacuo to yield a yellow solid. The solid was treated with an excess of a solution of 6% acetic acid in water. The solvent was removed in vacuo and the residual yellow solid dissolved in .
200 ml of glacial acetic acid, treated with 50 ml of 37%
hydrochloric acid and stirred and heated at 80 for 2 hours.
After removal of the solvent in vacuo, the brown residue was trituratéd with water and the solid- filtered off. The yield was 5.11 g (31%) of material with mp 240-7 dec. A sample from an analogous run, recrysta]lized from acetonitrile, had mp 239-242.5~ (dec).

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: ., ~36;~

Anal. Cal. for CloH5FOL.4l320 (212-65) Found: C, 56.19i H, 2.81 b. 5-Fluorochroman-2-carboxylic acid (Formula II; R-5-F, x=l) A mixture of S.01 g (0.024 mole) of 5-fluoro-4-oxo-4H-l-benzopyran-2-carboxylic acid, 0.5 g of 10% Pd-C and 9S ml of glacial acetic acid was hydrogenated on a Parr apparatus at 50 psig and 50 for 18 hours. The catalyst W2S filtered off through a "Celite"*diatomaceous earth pad and the acetic acid removed in vacuo. The residue, recrystallized from hexane, return'ed 3.41 g (72%) of product, mp 105-~12.
Anal. Cal for CloH9F03 (196.18): C, 61.23; ~, 4-62 Found: C, 61.34; H, 4.89 c. 5-Fluorochroman-2-carboxamide (Formula III; R=5-F, x=1) To a mixture of 3.37 g (0.017 mole) of 5-fluoro-lS chroman-2-carboxylic acid and 2.79 g (0.017 mole) of l,l'-carbonyldiimidazole, under a nitrogen atmosphere, was added 102 ml of dry tetrahydrofuran. Carbon dioxide gas was im~ediately liberated and the solu~tion was stirred and refluxed for 0.5 hour. The stirred mixture was then cooled in an ice-bath as am~onia gas was bubbled through the solution for 0.5 hour. After standing overnight at room temperature the solvent was distilled off in vacuo and the residue triturated with 100 ml of water. The white solid was filtered off and dried in vacuo to yield 2.74 g (81/~) of amide, mp 161-163.
Anal- Cal for CloH1oFNo2 (195.20): C, 61.53; H, 5.16; N, 7.1&
Found: C, 61.28; H, 5.26; N, 7.16 * Re~. TM

:

.`
: .

~36~

d 5-Fluorochroman-2-carbonitrile (Formula I~ R=5-F x=1) .

A stirred mixture of 2.70 g (0.0138 mole) of 5-fluorochroman-2-carboxamide and 3. ~1 (0.042 mole) of phosphorus oxychloride in 50 ml of toluene, under a nitrogen atmosphere, was stirred at reflux for 1.5 hours. The reaction mixture was cooled and poured onto 100 ml of ice water, the layers separated and the aqueous phase extracted twice with 100 ml portions of ethyl acetate. The combined organic phase was washed with 75 ml of saturated sodium chloride solution, dried (Na2SO4), filtered and the solvent removed in vacuo. The residual dark brown oil was chromatographed by the flash chromatography method on a 7"x1%" diameter column of silica gel (E. Merck No. 9385, 400-~30 mesh) using toluene/hexane (2:1) as eluent to yield 2.36 g (96%) of the nitrile as a clear colorless oil.
Anal. Cal. for CloH8FNO (177.18~: C, 67.79; H, 4.55; N, 7.91 Found: C, 68.01; H, 4.74; N, 7.68 e. 2-(2-Imidazolin-2-yl)-5-fluorochroman (Formula I; R=5-F, x=l) A stirred mixture of 2.29 g (0.0129 mole) of 5-fluorochroman-2-carbonitrile, 1.64 g (0.0273 mole~ of ethylene-diamine and 2 drops of carbon disulfide, under a nitrogen atmosphere, was heated at 110 for 18 hours. The crude mixture was chromato~raphed by the flash chrom~tography method on a ~5 7"xl~" d~ameter column of silica gel (E. Merck No. 9385, 400-230 mesh) usin~ 95% ethanol as eluent. The solid thus obtained was dissolved in 50 ml of methanol and treated with a solution of hydrogen chloride in ether. The solvent was ` .:

:, .

~L~3~

removed ln vacuo and the residue recrystallized twice from absolute ethanol-ether to yield 2.47 g (75%) of the hydrochloride salt of 2-~2-imidazolin-2-yl)-5-fluorochroman as a white solid, mp 253 5-270C (dec).
Anal. Cal. for C12H13FN2O.HCl (256.71): C, 56.15; H, 5.50; N, 10.91; Cl-, 13.81;
Found: C, 55.92; H, 5.53; ~', 10.84; Cl-, 14.05 Example 3 a. 8-Fluoro-4-oxo-1~l-1-benzopyran 2-carboxylic acid To a stirred solution of sodium ethoxide in ethanol (from 15.95 g (0.69 mole) of sodium and 267 ml of absolute ethanol), under a nitrogen atmosphere, was added a solution of 25.00 g (0.16 mole) of 3-fluoro-2-hydroxyacetophenone and 48 ml (0.35 mole) of diethyl oxalate at such a rate as to initiate and maintain a mild reflux. A yellow solid for~ed. The mixture was then refluxed for an additional 0.5 hour. The yellow solid was filtered onto a pad of "Celite"*diatomaceous earth, dissolved in 3 liters of hQt water and filtered from the 2n Celite'.* The yellow aqueous filtrate was concentrated to 1 liter in vacuo treated with 35 ml of acetic acid, stirred for 2 hours and the yellow solid filtered off. Evaporation of the solvent from the filtrate gave a second crop of yellow solid.
The two crops were treated separatelv with 200 ml of acetic acid and 50 ml of 37% hydrochloric acid, stirred and heated at 80~ for 2 hours and treated with 242 ml of water. Solid from the reaction of crop 1 was filtered off and dried to yield 10.81 g of solid. The filtrate was~added to the solution fro~

* Reg.'l~

., the reaction of crop 2 and the solvent remo~ed in vacuo to yield a yellow solid which, after trituration with 300 ml of water, filtration and drying, returned 10.45 g of material.
The total crude yield was 21.26 g (64%). A sample after recrystallization from acetic acid and sublimalion at 80/0.005 mm had mp 217-221(dec).
Anal. Cal. for CloH5FO4 (208.15): C, 57.71i H, 2.42 Found: C, 57.04; H, 2.60 b. 8-Fluorochroman-2-carboxylic acid ~Formula II; R=8-F, x=l) A mixture of 20.87 g (0.4Q mole) of 8-fluoro-4-oxo-4H-l-benzopyran-2-carboxylic acid, 2 g of 107 Pd-C and 385 ml of glacial ace~ic acid was hydrogenated on a Parr apparatus at 40 psi. The mixture was heated and an exotherm occurred at ca 44; the temperature rising to 50. The temperature was maintained at 50 for 45 min., then 60 for 16.5 hours. The catalyst was filtered off through a"Celite"~ad and the acetic acid removed _ vacuo to yield an off-white solid. The solid was triturated with warm hexane, cooled to room temperature and the solid filtered off. The yield of vacuum dried material was &.93 g (46%), mp 87-90. An impur~e second crop of 0.71 g (4%) was obtained on concentration of the liquors. A sample purified by sublimation at 60/0.005 mm had mp 93-96.
Anal. Cal. for CloHgFO3 (196.18): C, 61.23; H, 4.62 Found: C, 61.29; H, 4.79 c. 8-Fluorochromar.-2-carboxamide (Formula III; R=8-F; x=l) To a mixture of 9.63 g (0.049 mole) of 8-fluoro-chroman-2-carboxylic acid and 7.95 g (0.049 mole) of 1,1'-7~

-,4-carbonyldiimidazole, under a nitrogerl atmosphere, was added 170 ml of dry tetrahydrofuran. Carbon dioxide gas was immedia~elv liberated and the solution was stirred and refluxed for 1 hour .
The reaction mixture was then cooled in an ice-bath as a~monia gas was bubbled through the solution for 0.5 hour. The solvent was removed in vacuo and the residue triturated with 200 r.l of water. The dried white solid weighed 7.65 g '80%). A sample recrystallized from ethyl acetate had mp 146.5-148.
Anal. Cal. for CloHloF2iO2 (195.20): C, 61.53; H, 5-16; N~ 7-18 Found: C, 61.67; H, 5.61; N, 6.77 d. 8-Fluorochroman-2-carbonitrile (Formula IV; R=8-F, x=l) Phosphorus oxychloride (17.65 g, 0.115 mole) was added to a stirred solution of 7.49 g (0.0384 mole) of 8-fluorochroman-2-carboxamide in 130 ml of dry toluene and the mixture refluxed for 45 minutes. The ccoled tice-bath) mixture was then treated with ice, the layers separated and the aqueous phase extracted with three 200 ml portions of ethyl acetate.
The combined organic phase was washed with 300 ml of saturated sodium chloride solution, dried (Na2SO4), filtered and evaporated to a brown oil. Chromato~graphy by the flash chromatography method on a 7"xl~'l diameter column of silica gel (E. Merck No. 9385, 400-230 mesh) using chloroform as eluent re~urned 6.7~ g (99%) of the nitrile as a gold colored oil.
Anal. Cal. for CloH8FNO (177.18): C, 67.79; H, 4.5S; N, 7.91 Found: C, 67.89; H, 4.87; ~, 7.79 ~23~

e. 2-(2-Imidazolin-2-yl)-8-fluorochroman (formula I, R=8-F, x=l ) A solution of 2.50 g (0.~14 mole) of 8-fluorochroman-2-carbonitrile, 1.70 g (0.028 mole) of ethylenediamine and two drops of carbon disulfide was stirred and heated, under a 5 nitrogen atmosphere, at 110 for 18 hours. Excess ethylene-diamine was removed from the yellow solid in vacuo (water aspirator, then vacuum pump) and the residue chromatographed by the flash chromatography method on a 7" x 1-1/4" diameter column of silica gel (E. Merck No~ 9385, 400-230 mesh) using 95% ethanol as eluent. The yellow solid thus obtained was dissolved in 50 ml of methanol and treated with hydrogen chloride gas Eor 10 minutes. The solvent was evaporated and the resulting solid triturated with ether and Eiltered. The solid was dissolved in refluxing methanol, treated hot with 15 activated carbon (Darco*) and filtered through a "Celite"*
pad. The resulting solid was the hydrochloride salt oE
2-(2-imidazolin-2-yl)-8-fluorochroman, yield 1.50 g (42%), mp >295. (Darco* is the registered trademark of ICI
Americas Inc., Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A. for activated 20 carbon).
Anal. Cal. for C12H13FN20.HCl (256-71): C, 56-15; H, 5-50; N~
10.91; Cl, 13.81 Found: C, 56.11; H, 5.65; N, 10.61; Cl, 14.05 * Reg. T~

' )~,

Claims (2)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A process which comprises converting a chroman-2-carboxylic acid of the following formula (II):

(II) to the corresponding chroman-2-carboxamide of the following formula (III):

(III) wherein R is a halogen attached to 5- and/or 8-position of the molecule; and x is 0, 1 or 2, and reacting said carboxamide (III) with a dehydrating agent to form said chroman-2-carbonitrile of the formula (IV) (IV)

2. A compound of the following formula (IV):

(IV) wherein R is a halogen attached to the 5- and/or 8-position of the molecule; and x is 0, 1 or 2, whenever produced by the process of Claim 1.