Regioselective Brønsted Acid-Catalyzed Annulation of Cyclopropane Aldehydes with N'-Aryl Anthranil Hydrazides: Domino Construction of Tetrahydropyrrolo[1,2-a]quinazolin-5(1H)ones

Qahtan T, Bakht MA. Eco-Friendly Synthesis of Quinazoline Derivatives Through Visible Light-Driven Photocatalysis Using Curcumin-Sensitized Titanium Dioxide

This study explores a sustainable method for synthesizing quinazoline derivatives through visible light-driven photocatalysis using curcumin-sensitized titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles. A one-pot, three-component reaction involving aldehydes, urea/thiourea, and dimedone was utilized to efficiently produce quinazoline compounds. The photocatalytic performance of curcumin-sensitized TiO2 (Cur-TiO2) was compared to pure TiO2 (P-TiO2), with Cur-TiO2 showing significantly enhanced activity. Under optimized conditions-light intensity of 100 mW/cm2, catalyst concentration of 1 mg/mL, and a reaction time of 40 min-a 97% product yield was achieved. The Cur-TiO2 catalyst demonstrated excellent reusability, maintaining high efficiency over four consecutive cycles with minimal performance loss. This work underscores the potential of natural dye sensitization to extend light absorption of TiO2 into the visible spectrum, providing an eco-friendly and cost-effective approach to sustainable organic synthesis.

p-Toluenesulfonic acid-promoted organic transformations for the generation of molecular complexity

Since the beginning of this century, p-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TSA) catalysed organic transformations have been an active area of research for developing efficient synthetic methodologies. Often, catalysis using p-TSA is associated with many advantages, such as operational simplicity, high selectivity, excellent yields, and ease of product isolation, which make organic synthesis convenient and versatile. Notably, p-TSA is a non-toxic, commercially available, inexpensive solid organic compound that is soluble in water, alcohols, and other polar organic solvents. p-TSA is a strong acid compared to many protic or mineral acids and its high acidity helps activate different organic functional groups. p-TSA-promoted conversions are fast, have a high atom and pot economy, and feature a multiple bond-forming index. Therefore, the utilization of p-TSA enables the synthesis of many important structural scaffolds without any hazardous metals, making it desirable in numerous applications of sustainable and green chemistry. Recently, this emerging area of research has become one of the pillars of synthetic organic chemistry to synthesise biologically relevant, complex carbocycles and heterocycles. This study provides a comprehensive summary of methods, applications, and mechanistic insights into p-TSA-catalysed organic transformations, covering the literature reports that have appeared since 2012.

Organocatalytic (3+3)-cycloaddition of ortho-substituted phenyl nitrones with aryl cyclopropane carbaldehydes: a facile access to enantioenriched 1,2-oxazinanes

The first asymmetric (3+3)-cycloaddition of ortho-substituted phenyl nitrones with aryl cyclopropane carbaldehydes has been demonstrated by secondary amine catalysts. While the other ortho-substituents gave 1,2-oxazinanes, ortho-hydroxy ones provided a novel class of tetrahydrochromeno-1,2-oxazine cores via rare 1,3-aryl migration, followed by cyclization. An unusual type of asymmetric approach was also recognized.

Lewis acid catalyzed spiro annulation of (Z)-3-amino-acrylates with 2-amino arylbenzamides: one-pot synthesis of pyrrole-quinazoline hybrids

The one-pot domino reaction of ethyl (Z)-3-amino-3-phenylacrylates with 2-amino-N-alkyl/arylbenzamides under Lewis acid catalysis was described as an effective way to construct novel spiro [pyrrole-3,2'-quinazoline] carboxylate derivatives. By combining substituted alkyl/aryl amides with spiro annulated 1H-pyrrole-2,3-diones, this method provides a novel way for producing spiro pyrrole derivatives in good to excellent yields. The current procedure has a number of benefits, including quicker reaction times, a broad tolerance range for functional groups, and the ability to synthesize 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones that are of biological importance and take part in organic transformations. This is the first use of molecular hybridization involving linking with pyrrole derivatives and dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones.

Donor-Acceptor Cyclopropanes: Activation Enabled by a Single, Vinylogous Acceptor

A novel class of highly activated donor-acceptor cyclopropanes bearing only a single, vinylogous acceptor is presented. These strained moieties readily undergo cycloadditions with aldehydes, ketones, thioketones, nitriles, naphth-2-ols and various other substrates to yield the corresponding carbo- and heterocycles. Diastereocontrol can be achieved through the choice of catalyst (Brønsted or Lewis acid). The formation of tetrahydrofurans was shown to be highly enantiospecific when chiral cyclopropanes are employed. A series of mechanistic and kinetic experiments was conducted to elucidate a plausible catalytic cycle and to rationalize the stereochemical outcome.

Synthesis of 1,5-Substituted Pyrrolidin-2-ones from Donor-Acceptor Cyclopropanes and Anilines/Benzylamines

We developed a straightforward synthetic route to pharmacologically important 1,5-substituted pyrrolidin-2-ones from donor-acceptor cyclopropanes bearing an ester group as one of the acceptor substituents. This method includes a Lewis acid-catalyzed opening of the donor-acceptor cyclopropane with primary amines (anilines, benzylamines, etc.) to γ-amino esters, followed by in situ lactamization and dealkoxycarbonylation. The reaction has a broad scope of applicability; a variety of substituted anilines, benzylamines, and other primary amines as well as a wide range of donor-acceptor cyclopropanes bearing (hetero)aromatic or alkenyl donor groups and various acceptor substituents can be involved in this transformation. In this process, donor-acceptor cyclopropanes react as 1,4-C,C-dielectrophiles, and amines react as 1,1-dinucleophiles. The resulting di- and trisubstituted pyrrolidin-2-ones can be also used in subsequent chemistry to obtain various nitrogen-containing polycyclic compounds of interest to medicinal chemistry and pharmacology, such as benz[g]indolizidine derivatives.

Accessing Complex Tetrahydrofurobenzo-Pyran/Furan Scaffolds via Lewis-Acid Catalyzed Bicyclization of Cyclopropane Carbaldehydes with Quinone Methides/Esters

Herein, we report a straightforward one-pot synthesis of tetrahydrofurobenzopyran and tetrahydrofurobenzofuran systems via an in situ ring-expansion of the cyclopropane carbaldehydes followed by a [2 + n] cycloaddition with the quinone derivatives. The transformation not only unveils a new reaction mode of cyclopropane carbaldehydes with quinone methides/esters, but also promotes a step-efficient diastereoselective route to the sophisticatedly fused oxygen tricycles that can be further dehydrogenated to access the valued dihydro-2H-furo[2,3-b]chromene frameworks.

Copper-catalyzed [4+1] cycloannulation of 2-aminochalcones with ethyl diazophenylacetates via ester rearrangement

Copper-catalyzed [4+1] cycloannulation of 2-aminochalcones with ethyl diazophenylacetates was developed, exhibiting a wide range of substrates and good tolerance of functional groups.

The PIFA-initiated oxidative cyclization of 2-(3-butenyl)quinazolin-4(3H)-ones - an efficient approach to 1-(hydroxymethyl)-2,3-dihydropyrrolo[1,2-a]quinazolin-5(1H)-ones

A regioselective method for the synthesis of 1-(hydroxymethyl)-2,3-dihydropyrrolo[1,2-a]quinazolin-5(1H)-ones - close structural analogs of naturally occurring vasicinone alkaloids - is described. The procedure is based on PIFA-initiated oxidative 5-exo-trig cyclization of 2-(3-butenyl)quinazolin-4(3Н)-ones, in turn prepared by thermal cyclocondensation of the corresponding 2-(pent-4-enamido)benzamides. The products obtained have a good natural product likeness (NPL) score and therefore can be useful for the design of natural product-like compound libraries.

Arylcyclopropane yet in its infancy: the challenges and recent advances in its functionalization

Electronically unbiased arylcyclopropane functionalization has always been a challenge to organic chemists, and the emergence of donor-acceptor cyclopropanes (DACs) has not only vehemently overshadowed them but still dominates the cyclopropane chemistry. Unlike DACs, the absence of pre-installed functional groups makes it harder for them to activate and participate in a reaction. The field has witnessed considerably slow progress since its inception due to the inherent challenges. There are only a few strategies available to open arylcyclopropanes. Therefore, this work is still in its infancy stage in spite of these materials being one of the earliest known type of cyclopropanes. This review manifests the history, endeavors, and achievements alongside the associated challenges, opportunities, and the need for concerted efforts to accomplish the long-awaited golden age of arylcyclopropanes.

Friedel-Crafts-Type Reactions with Electrochemically Generated Electrophiles from Donor-Acceptor Cyclopropanes and -Butanes

We describe a general electrochemical method to functionalize donor-acceptor (D-A) cyclopropanes and -butanes with arenes utilizing Friedel-Crafts-type reactivity. The catalyst-free strategy relies on the direct anodic oxidation of the strained carbocycles, which leads after C(sp³)-C(sp³) cleavage to radical cations that act as electrophiles for the arylation reaction. Broad reaction scopes in regard to cyclopropanes, cyclobutanes, and aromatic reaction partners are presented. Additionally, a plausible electrolysis mechanism is proposed.

Protic Ionic Liquid as Reagent, Catalyst, and Solvent: 1-Methylimidazolium Thiocyanate

We propose a new concept of the triple role of protic ionic liquids with nucleophilic anions: a) a regenerable solvent, b) a Brønsted acid inducing diverse transformations via general acid catalysis, and c) a source of a nucleophile. The efficiency of this strategy was demonstrated using thiocyanate-based protic ionic liquids for the ring-opening of donor-acceptor cyclopropanes. A wide variety of activated cyclopropanes were found to react with 1-methylimidazolium thiocyanate under mild metal-free conditions via unusual nitrogen attack of the ambident thiocyanate ion on the electrophilic center of the three-membered ring affording pyrrolidine-2-thiones bearing donor and acceptor substituents at the C(5) and C(3) atoms, respectively, in a single time-efficient step. The ability of 1-methylimidazolium thiocyanate to serve as a triplex reagent was exemplarily illustrated by (4+2)-annulation with 1-acyl-2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)cyclopropane, epoxide ring-opening and other organic transformations.

Donor-Acceptor Bicyclopropyls as 1,6-Zwitterionic Intermediates: Synthesis and Reactions with 4-Phenyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione and Terminal Acetylenes

The bicyclopropyl system activated by incorporation of donor and acceptor groups in the presence of Lewis acids was used as a synthetic equivalent of 1,6-zwitterions. Opening of both cyclopropane rings in 2'-aryl-1,1'-bicyclopropyl-2,2-dicarboxylates (D-A bicyclopropyl, ABCDs) in the presence of GaI₃ + Bu₄N⁺GaI₄^- results in 5-iodo-5-arylpent-2-enylmalonates as products of HI formal 1,6-addition to the bicyclopropyl system. The use of GaCl₃ or GaBr₃ as a Lewis acid and terminal aryl or alkyl acetylenes as 1,6-zwitterion interceptors allows the alkyl substituent to be grown to give the corresponding acyclic 7-chloro(bromo)-hepta-2,6-dienylmalonates. The reaction of ABCDs with 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione (PTAD) catalyzed by Yb(OTf)₃ also results in the opening of both cyclopropane rings. The reaction products are tetrahydropyridazine derivatives - (7,9-dioxo-1,6,8-triazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-3-en-2-ylmethyl)malonates - containing one more PTAD moiety in the malonyl group.

Anthranils: versatile building blocks in the construction of C–N bonds and N-heterocycles

This review article provides an overview of the recent progress in the transformations of anthranils, which have emerged as versatile building blocks in the assembly of various C–N bonds and medicinally active heterocyclic systems.