New Synthetic Approaches to Multifunctional Phenazinium Salt Derivatives

Two different approaches are offered for the synthesis under mild conditions of disubstituted phenazinium and benzo[a]phenazinium salts. Direct nucleophilic substitutions by primary and secondary amines in quaternary phenazinium salts containing an additional positive charge in the aliphatic part of the molecule were carried out. The substitution proceeds successively in positions 2 and 7, which allows selective introduction of different substituents into the heterocycle. Direct nucleophilic substitution in quaternary 2-N-alkyl-acetamidophenazinium and 5-alkoxy-benzo[a]phenazinium salts with different amines can also serve as a convenient method for the introduction of two different substituents.