Synthesis of some new 4-styryltetrazolo[1,5-a]quinoxaline and 1-substituted-4-styryl[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]quinoxaline derivatives as potent anticonvulsants.

4-Methyltetrazolo[1,5-a]quinoxaline (3) was prepared by the azide cyclocondensation of 2-chloro-3-methylquinoxaline (2). The reaction of 3 with aromatic aldehydes furnished 4-styryltetrazolo[1,5-a]quinoxalines (4a-f). Compound 2, on treatment with hydrazine hydrate gave 2-hydrazino-3-methylquinoxaline (5). The ring closure of 5 was achieved by the reaction of orthoesters and trifluoroacetic acid to yield 4-methyl-1-(substituted)[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalines (7a-c). Further, reaction of 7a-c with different aromatic aldehydes furnished the title compounds, 4-styryl-1-(substituted)[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalines (8a-i) in good yield. In another scheme, the hydrazino compound 5 was treated with different aromatic aldehydes to yield corresponding N-arylidenehydrazino quinoxalines (6a-d). Further, the oxidative cyclization of hydrazones by nitrobenzene yielded 1-aryl-4-methyl[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalines (7d-g), which on condensation with aromatic aldehydes gave the title compounds, 1-aryl-4-styryl[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalines (8j-u). The newly synthesized compounds have been characterized by FTIR, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR and mass spectral data, followed by elemental analysis. Some of the compounds were screened for in vivo anticonvulsant activity. Few of them exhibited promising results.