Hydrazines readily reacted with 4-amino-1H-1, 5-benzodiazepine-3-carbonitrile (1) to afford ring-opened hydrazine adducts (2) which were recyclized to compounds 3, 4 and 9 by treatment with aqueous sodium hydroxide solution. Compound 4 was converted to 5 by loss of ammonia in good yield. All the reactions described here were carried out in water.
