Azepinones useful as intermediates in the preparation of inhibitors of angiotensin converting enzyme and neutralendopeptidase

A compound of the formula ##STR57## wherein:

• R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkenyl, substituted alkenyl, cycloalkyl-(CH.sub.2).sub.m -, aryl-(CH.sub.2).sub.m -, substituted aryl-(CH.sub.2).sub.m -, and heteroaryl-(CH.sub.2).sub.m -, or one of R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 is hydrogen and the other is hydroxy, or R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 taken together with the carbon to which they are attached complete a saturated cycloalkyl ring of 3 to 7 carbons or R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 together with the carbon to which they are attached complete a keto substituent;
• R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 are independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkenyl, substituted alkenyl, cycloalkyl-(CH.sub.2).sub.m -, aryl-(CH.sub.2).sub.m -, substituted aryl-(CH.sub.2).sub.m - , and heteroaryl-(CH.sub.2).sub.m -, or R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 taken together with the carbon to which they are attached complete a saturated cycloalkyl ring to 3 to 7 carbons;
• R.sub.10 and R.sub.11 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkenyl, substituted alkenyl, cycloalkyl-(CH.sub.2).sub.m -, aryl-(CH.sub.2).sub.m -, substituted aryl-(CH.sub.2).sub.m -, and heteroaryl-(CH.sub.2).sub.m -,
• b is zero or one;
• R.sub.12, is methyl, ethyl, t-butyl or benzyl;
• the term "alkyl" refers to straight and branched chain radicals having one to seven carbon atoms;
• the term "substituted alkyl" refers to such straight or branched chain radicals of 1 to 7 carbons wherein one or more hydrogens have been replaced by a hydroxy, amino, halo, trifluoromethyl, cyano, -NH(lower alkyl), -N(lower alkyl).sub.2, lower alkoxy, lower alkylthio or carboxy;
• the term "alkenyl" refers to straight or branched chain radicals of 3 to 7 carbon atoms having one or two double bonds;
• the term "substituted alkenyl" refers to such straight or branched radicals of 3 to 7 carbons having one or two double bonds wherein a hydrogen has been replaced by a hydroxy, amino, halo, trifluoromethyl, cyano, -NH(lower alkyl), -N(lower alkyl).sub.2, lower alkoxy, lower alkylthio, or carboxy;
• the term "cycloalkyl" refers to saturated rings of 3 to 7 carbon atoms;
• the term "aryl" refers to phenyl, 1-naphthyl, and 2-naphthyl;
• the term "substituted aryl" refers to phenyl, 1-naphthyl, and 2-naphthyl having a substituent selected from lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, lower alkylthio, halo, hydroxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, -NH(lower alkyl), and -N(lower alkyl).sub.2, di- and tri- substituted phenyl, 1-naphthyl, or 2-naphthyl wherein said substituents are selected from methyl, methoxy, methylthio, halo, hydroxy, and amino;
• the term "heteroaryl" refers to unsaturated monocyclic rings of 5 or 6 atoms containing one or two O and S atoms and/or one to four N atoms provided that the total number of hetero atoms is four or less and bicyclic rings wherein the five to six membered ring as defined above is fused to a phenyl or pyridyl ring, and heteroaryl ring is attached by way of an available carbon or nitrogen atom;
• and said monocyclic or bicyclic ring can be substituted at an available carbon atom by lower alkyl of 1 to 4 carbons, halo, hydroxy, benzyl, or cyclohexylmethyl, or can be substituted at an available nitrogen atom by benzyloxymethyl, p-toluene sulfonyl, 2,4-dinitrophenyl, lower alkyl of 1 to 4 carbons, benzyl or benzhydryl;
• the term "lower alkyl" refers to straight or branched chain radicals having one to four carbons;
• the term "substituted lower alkyl" refers to such straight or branched chain radicals having one to four carbons wherein one hydrogen has been replaced by a hydroxy, amino, halo, trifluoromethyl, cyano, -NH(lower alkyl), -N(lower alkyl).sub.2, lower alkoxy, lower alkylthio, or carboxy;
• the terms "lower alkoxy" and "lower alkylthio" refer to such lower alkyl groups as defined above attached to an oxygen or sulfur;
• and
• the term "halo" refers to chloro, bromo, fluoro, and iodo.