Amino imidazole carbonitrile derivatives decorated with α-amino acid side-chains have been synthesized by a multicomponent microwave assisted reaction inspired by the prebiotic chemistry of aminomalononitrile as a tool for generating high chemical diversity. These compounds were used as annulation synthons for the preparation of 8,9-disubstituted-6,9-dihydro-1H-purin-6-ones by reaction with formic acid as a simple C-1 donor reagent. The novel heterocycles were characterized by significant activity against influenza A virus, amino imidazole carbonitrile derivatives showing the highest activity. Thus, the chemical complexity generated by prebiotic chemistry furnished a general tool for the identification of novel antiviral agents.
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