Three novel pyrazolo-[4,3-e][1,2,4]triazolopyrimidine derivatives (1, 2, and 3) were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their in vitro biological activity. All three compounds exhibited different levels of cytotoxicity against cervical and breast cancer cell lines. However, compound 1 showed the best antiproliferative activity against all tested tumor cell lines, including HCC1937 and HeLa cells, which express high levels of wild-type epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Western blot analyses demonstrated that compound 1 inhibited the activation of EGFR, protein kinase B (Akt), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk)1/2 in breast and cervical cancer cells at concentrations of 7 and 11 µM, respectively. The results from docking experiments with EGFR suggested the binding of compound 1 at the ATP binding site of EGFR. Furthermore, the crystal structure of compound 3 (7-(4-bromophenyl)-9-(pyridin-4-yl)-7H-pyrazolo[4,3-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine) was determined by single crystal X-ray analysis. Our work represents a promising starting point for the development of a new series of compounds targeting EGFR.

In the title compound, C20H11F2N5O, the central 13-membered ring system (r.m.s. deviation = 0.028 Å) makes a dihedral angle of 53.13 (7)° with the difluorophenyl ring and 79.98 (7)° with the pyridine ring. The crystal packing features aromatic π–π interactions between the 13-membered rings [shortest distance between ring centroids = 3.5682 (8) Å].

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In the title compound, C20H10Cl3N5O, the 13-membered ring system makes dihedral angles of 78.64 (9)° with the trichlorophenyl ring and 62.60 (10)° with the pyridine ring. The crystal packing is dominated by π–π interactions between the 13-membered ring systems [centroid–centroid distance = 3.6655 (11)°].

The side product of the cyclocondensation reaction between ethyl benzimidazole-2-carboxylate and the nitrile imine of the corresponding hydrazonyl chloride, C20H11BrClN5O, crystallized in two crystal forms. Form (1) is a co-crystal of the target compound (without any chlorine substituent) and a side product containing a Cl atom in position 2 of the bromophenyl group, C20H12BrN5O·0.143C20H11BrClN5O. (2) contains the pure side product. The slightly different conformation of the ring systems leads to a different packing of (1) and (2), but both crystal structures are dominated by π–π interactions.