Reactivity of the acridine ring: One-pot regioselective single and double bromomethylation of acridine and some derivatives

We report here a new efficient regioselective synthetic route to 4-bromomethylacridine and to 4,5-bis-(bromomethyl)acridine, two interesting starting materials for various 4-methyleneacridine and 4,5-bis-(methylene)acridine derivatives, in one step by direct bromomethylation of acridine with bromomethylmethylether (BMME). We also describe some biologically interesting diesters derivatives from the corresponding 4,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)acridine precursor.