Synthesis of isomeric 3-phenyl-5-(pyridylmethylene)-2-thiohydantoins and their S-methylated derivatives. Molecular and crystal structures of (5Z)-3-phenyl-5-(pyridin-2-ylmethylene)-2-thiohydantoin and (5Z)-2-methylthio-3-phenyl-5-(pyridin-2-ylmethylene)-3,5-dihydro-4H-imidazol-4-one

Three procedures were used for the synthesis of α-, β, and γ-pyridyl-substituted (5Z)-3-phenyl-5-(pyridylmethylene)-2-thiohydantoins: the reaction of 2-thiohydantoin with the corresponding aldehyde in AcOH in the presence of AcONa, the two-step one-pot synthesis with the use of the same starting compounds, and three-component condensation of aryl isothiocyanate, glycine, and aldehyde in AcOH. Alkylation of the resulting thiohydantoins with iodomethane in the presence of a base afforded the corresponding S-methylated derivatives, viz., 2-methylthio-3-phenyl-5-(pyridylmethylene)-3,5-dihydro-4H-imidazol-4-ones. The structures of (5Z)-3-phenyl-5-(pyridin-2-ylmethylene)-2-thioxoimidazolin-4-one and (5Z)-2-methylthio-3-phenyl-5-(pyridin-2-ylmethylene)-3,5-dihydro-4H-imidazol-4-one were established by X-ray diffraction analysis.