The treatment of 4-nitro-5-amino-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (3) with tin/hydrochloric acid in the presence of a carboxylic acid having a C1-C3 chain gave the corresponding 2,5-dialkylbenzo[1,2-d:3,4-d']diimidazoles (1). When the amount of tin was reduced to a half, 3 afforded only 5-alkylimidazolo[4,5-d]benzothiadiazoles (2). Unsymmetrical dialkyldiimidazoles (1) were obtained from 2 in a second step. Annular tautomers due to NH-proton exchange of the imidazole rings of 1 and 2 could be observed in H-1 NMR spectra in DMSO-d(6) at a low concentration (ca. 5 x 10(-4) M).
Rao; Veeranagaiah, Indian Journal of Chemistry - Section B Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, 1990, vol. 29, # 6, p. 529 - 532