2-Benzyl-6-carboxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroimidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidin-1-ium 2,2,2-trifluoroacetate

Cyclic guanidines are valuable scaffolds for the design of compounds acting on GABAergic neurotransmission, owing to their ability to mimic the amino functionality of GABA as bioisosteres. With the aim to obtain a more potent and selective betaine/GABA transporter (BGT1) inhibitor, a basic hydrolysis of ethyl (E)-2-(acetylimino)-1-(3-phenylprop-2-yn-1-yl)hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate was attempted. However, we isolated a byproduct, which was identified as the trifluoroacetate salt of 2-benzyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroimidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidine-6-carboxylic acid. The structure was confirmed by NMR spectroscopy and LC-MS. Herein we report the preparation, characterization, and spectral data of this fused heterocyclic compound.