Diverse Oxidative C(sp2)-N Bond Cleavages of Aromatic Fused Imidazoles for Synthesis of α-Ketoamides and N-(pyridin-2-yl)arylamides

An efficient and chemoselective C(sp(2))-N bond cleavage of aromatic imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine molecules is developed. A broad scope of amide compounds such as alpha-ketoamides and N-(pyridin-2-yl)arylamides are afforded as the final products in up to quantitative yields. Diverse C-N bond cleavages are controlled by the oxidative species used in this transformation, with various amide products afforded in a chemoselective fashion. A preliminary study indicated that some alpha-ketoamides exhibit anti-Tobacco Mosaic Virus activity for potential use in plant protection.