A Convenient Synthesis of 7-Methyladenine

7-Methyladenine is a biomarker of DNA damage from exposure to methylating agents. Also, it is a partial agonist for the G protein-coupled receptor in rats. So far, the reported synthetic methods for 7-methyl­adenine are not convenient enough. We herein report an improved four-step synthesis of 7-methyladenine via cyanation, Raney Ni catalytic reduction, cyclization, and bis(pinacolato)diboron (Bpin)2 reduction. The advan­tages of this procedure include the avoidance of precious metal catalysts, simple operation, and good yields.