Ethyl 2,3-dimethyl-8-(2-ethyl-6-methylbenzylamino)-imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-6-carboxylate (0.12 g, 0.33 mmol), propylamine (1.0 g, 17 mmol) and a catalytic amount of sodium cyanide were refluxed in methanol (20 ml) for 24 h. An additional amount of propylamine (1.0 g, 17 mmol) was added and the reaction mixture was refluxed for 24 h. The solvent was evaporated under reduced pressure and the residue was purified by column chromatography on silica gel using diethyl ether as eluent. Crystallization from diethyl ether gave 0.053 g (42%) of the title compound. 1H-NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3): δ 1.0 (t, 3H), 1.2 (t, 3H), 1.65-1.75 (m, 2H), 2.3 (s, 3H), 2.35 (s, 3H), 2.38 (s, 3H), 2.7 (q, 2H), 3.4-3.5 (m, 2H), 4.35 (d, 2H), 4.9 (bs, 1H), 6.2 (bs, 1H), 6.35 (s, 1H), 7.0-7.2 (m, 4H), 7.85 (s, 1H).
