Abstract
Methylpyrazine (I) and 2-picoline (VI) were converted to N, N-dimethylpyrazinecar-bothionamide and N, N-dimethylpicolinethionamide (II and VII) respectively on fusion with sulfur in dimethylformamide. Iodine was found effective as a catalyst for the reaction. Besides the ordinal products (II and VII), the corresponding demethylated products were also isolated, thus indicating that the demethylation reaction, presumably due to the action of sulfur, was involved. The demethylation reaction was confirmed by the formation of N-methylpyrazinecarbothionamide and N-methylpicolinethionamide (III and VIII) from II and VII respectively on fusion with sulfur. II was 4 times more effective than pyrazinecarboamide against M. tuberculosis and its toxity was LD50 1180±15 mg./kg.
