A facile synthesis of 2,7‐diazapyrene

Abstract 2,7‐Diazapyrene is synthesized in three high‐yield steps from commercially available 1,4,5,8‐naphthalene tetracarboxylic dianhydride, which first reacts with concentrated ammonium hydroxide solution at room temperature to give 1,4,5,8‐naphthalenetetracarboxylic diimide (96%). The latter compound is subsequently reduced with borane in refluxing tetrahydrofuran to give 1,2,3,6,7,8‐hexahydro‐2,7‐diazapyrene (77%), which in turn is oxidized with manganese dioxide in refluxing benzene giving 2,7‐diazapyrene (71%).