Condensation of 1-bromo-2-naphthalenecarboxylic acid (9) with 7-methoxy-2,2-dimethyl-2
H-1-benzopyran-5-ylamine (13) followed by acid-mediated cyclization afforded 6-methoxy-3,3-dimethyl-3,14-dihydro-7
H-benzo[
c]pyrano[3,2-
h]acridin-7-one (15), which was further methylated into 6-methoxy-3,3,14-trimethyl-3,14-dihydro-7
H-benzo[
c]pyrano[3,2-
h]acridin-7-one (benzo[
c]acronycine) (3) and 6,7-dimethoxy-3,3-dimethyl-3
H-benzo[
c]pyrano[3,2-
h]acridine (4). Osmium tetroxide oxidation of 15 gave the (±)-
cis-diol 16, which afforded the benzopyranoacridine and benzopyranoacridone esters 17—22 upon acylation. Condensation of 9 with suitable aminoquinolines 23—25 afforded the carboxylic naphthylquinolylamines 26—28. Cyclization gave the corresponding naphtho[1,2-
b][1,10]-phenanthrolin-7(14
H)-ones 29 and 30, and naphtho[1,2-
b][1,7]-phenanthrolin-7(14
H)-one 31, which were subsequently
N-methylated to the desired 14-methylnaphtho[1,2-
b][1,10] and [1,7]-phenanthrolinones 6, 7, and 8. Benzo[
c]pyrano[3,2-
h]acridin-7-one derivatives 3, 16, and 22 displayed cytotoxic activities within the same range of magnitude as acronycine itself, whereas 7-alkoxybenzo[
c]pyrano[3,2-
h]acridine and 7-acyloxybenzo[
c]pyrano[3,2-
h]acridine derivatives 4 and 17—21 were less active when tested against L1210 murine leukemia cells
in vitro. Naphthophenanthrolinones 6—8 were devoid of significant antiproliferative activity, but compounds 29—31 bearing no substituent on the nitrogen atom at position 14 were more potent.
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