Substituted quinoxaline have considerable interest in chemistry, biology and pharmacology. Quinoxaline derivatives are capable with variety of biological activities and possess different biological activities, of which the most potent are anti-microbial, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. It facilitated the researchers to develop various methods for their synthesis and their applications. In this review represented different methods of synthesis, reactivity and various biological activities of quinoxaline derivatives.Keywords: Quinoxaline, reactivity, biological activities, synthetic methods.
IntroductionQuinoxaline and its derivatives are important nitrogen containing heterocyclic compounds of various biologically properties. Quinoxaline and its derivatives are mostly of synthetic origin. Substituted quinoxalines are an important class of benzoheterocycles, which constitute the building blocks of wide range of pharmacologically active compounds having antibacterial [1][2][3][4] [15] activities. The quinoxaline is described as a bioisoster of quinoline, naphthalene, benzothiophene and other aromatic rings such as pyridine and pyrazine. Because of the similarity between some antitubercular drugs and quinoxaline, as well as the presence of the quinoxaline moiety in some broad spectrum antibiotics, it was hoped that quinoxaline analogs would exhibit antitubercular activity [16]. The quinoxaline antibiotics are agents of bicyclic desipeptide antibiotic that have been reported activity against gram-positive bacteria and certain tumors and to inhibit RNA synthesis [17]. Quinoxaline has also been used in reactive dyes and pigments, azo dyes, fluroscein dyes and it also forms a part of certain antibiotics. Quinoxaline m.p. 29-30ºC and is miscible with water. It is weakly basic (pka 0.56) and thus considerably weaker base than the isomeric diazonapthalenes namely cinnoline (pka 2.42), pthalizine (pka 3.47) or quinazoline (pka 1.95). 2-Hydroxy-but not 2-amino quinoxaline exist in tautomeric forms.