Synthesis of 8-phenyl substituted 3-benzazecines with allene moiety, their thermal rearrangement and evaluation as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors

Various 4′-R-substituted phenyl azacyclic allenes were synthesized in good yields, and their thermal transformations were studied. For the first time, the obtained rearrangement products—new N-bridged cyclopenta[a]indenes, and the corresponding parent allenes were evaluated as potential inhibitors of acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase. Among the tested compounds, the allene derivative 2g proved to competitively inhibit human AChE with inhibition constant value (Ki) in the low micromolar range. Graphic abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG part of Springer Nature.