1-ARYL-1H,3H-THIAZOLO[3,4-A]BENZIMIDAZOLE DERIVATIVES

The structural features of some 1-aryl-1H,3H-thiazolo[3,4-a]benzimidaz oles active against human immunodefiency virus (HIV) are reported. The diffractometric analysis reveals that the title compounds, ifluorophe nyl)-1H,3H-thiazolo[3,4-a]benzimidazole, C15H10F2N2S, ichlorophenyl)-1 H,3H-thiazolo[3,4-a]benzimidazole, C15H10Cl2N2S, and -fluorophenyl)-1H ,3H-thiazolo[3,4-a]benzimidazole, C15H10ClFN2S, all adopt a butterfly- like conformation which appears to be particularly important for the i nhibition of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT), an enzyme which plays a key role in the viral life-cycle.