New regio/chemoselective synthesis of hydrogenated imidazo[1,5-b]pyridazines

The cascade heterocyclization of 1,2-diamino-4-phenyl-imidazole with ethyl 2-arylidene-2-cyanoacetates affords 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroimidazo[1,5-b]pyridazine-3-carbonitrile derivatives as mixtures of diastereomers. The experimental data and quantum chemical calculations were used to propose processes. The three-component processing with above-mentioned diamine, ethyl cyanoacetate and aromatic aldehydes leads to the same products in generally lower yields.