The original compound bearing the coplanar quinone and imidazole systems, 2-chloromethyl-4,9-dihydro-1-methyl-1H-naphtho[2,3-d]imidazol-4,9-dione reacted with various nitronate anions to afford, in moderate to good yields, new naphthoimidazolediones bearing a trisubstituted ethylenic double bond at the 2-position. These compounds were evaluated as potential antiprotozoan agents. Some derivatives were found to have a significant activity, but the naphthoquinone was found to be a less efficient pharmacophore than the nitro group.
Vanelle Patrice, Donini Santa, Maldonado Jose, Sabuco Jean-Francois, Croz+, Tetrahedron Lett, 35 (1994) N 20, S 3305-3308