Iron‐MOF‐Catalyzed Domino Cyclization and Aromatization Strategy for the Synthesis of 2,4‐Diarylquinolines

Heterogeneous Iron-Based Catalysts for Organic Transformation Reactions: A Brief Overview

Iron (Fe) is considered to be one of the most significant elements due to its wide applications. Recent years have witnessed a burgeoning interest in Fe catalysis as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to noble metal catalysis in organic synthesis. The abundance and low toxicity of Fe, coupled with its competitive reactivity and selectivity, underscore its appeal for sustainable synthesis. A lot of catalytic reactions have been performed using heterogeneous catalysts of Fe oxide hybridized with support systems like aluminosilicates, clays, carbonized materials, metal oxides or polymeric matrices. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in Fe-catalyzed organic transformation reactions. Highlighted areas include cross-coupling reactions, C-H activation, asymmetric catalysis, and cascade processes, showcasing the versatility of Fe across a spectrum of synthetic methodologies. Emphasis is placed on mechanistic insights, elucidating the underlying principles governing iron-catalyzed reactions. Challenges and opportunities in the field are discussed, providing a roadmap for future research endeavors. Overall, this review illuminates the transformative potential of Fe catalysis in driving innovation and sustainability in organic chemistry, with implications for drug discovery, materials science, and beyond.

Highly Selective Cyclization and Isomerization of Propargylamines to Access Functionalized Quinolines and 1-Azadienes

Developing new organic reactions with excellent atom economy and high selectivity is significant and urgent. Herein, by ingeniously regulating the reaction conditions, highly selective transformations of propargylamines have been successfully implemented. The palladium-catalyzed cyclization of propargylamines generates a series of functionalized quinoline heterocycles, while the base-promoted isomerization of propargylamines affords diverse 1-azadienes. Both reactions have good functional group tolerance, mild conditions, excellent atom economy and high yields of up to 93%. More importantly, these quinoline heterocycles and 1-azadienes could be flexibly transformed into valuable compounds, illustrating the validity and practicability of the propargylamine-based highly selective reactions.

2-(4-Chlorophenyl)-4-(3,4-dimethoxy-phenyl)-6-methoxy-3-methylquinoline

A 2,4-diarylquinoline derivative, 2-(4-chlorophenyl)-4-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-6-methoxy-3-methylquinoline, was synthesized in a conventional two-step procedure from p-anisidine, p-chlorobenzaldehyde and methyl isoeugenol as available starting reagents through a sequence of BF3·OEt2-catalyzed Povarov cycloaddition reaction/oxidative dehydrogenation aromatization processes under microwave irradiation conditions in the presence of a green oxidative I2-DMSO system. The structure of the compound was fully characterized by FT-IR, 1H and 13C-NMR, ESI-MS, and elemental analysis. Its physicochemical parameters (Lipinski’s descriptors) were also calculated using the Molinspiration Cheminformatics software. The diarylquinoline molecule obtained is an interesting model with increased lipophilicity and thus permeability, an important descriptor for quinoline-based drug design. Such types of derivatives are known for their anticancer, antitubercular, antifungal, and antiviral activities.