A Fast and Parallel Route to Cyclic Isothioureas and Guanidines with Use of Microwave-Assisted Chemistry

Microwave-assisted synthesis of novel (5-nitropyridin-2-yl)alkyl and (5-nitropyridin-3-yl)alkyl carbamates

A straightforward approach to novel (5-nitropyridin-2-yl)alkyl and (5-nitropyridin-3-yl)alkyl carbamate building blocks is presented in this study. Their construction is achieved by condensation of N-carbamate alpha- and beta-amino carbonyl derivatives with 1-methyl-3,5-dinitro-2-pyridone 1 under microwave irradiation. Judiciously chosen modifications in the nature of the parent carbonyl starting material has influenced the regiochemical outcome of the reaction and allowed an efficient access to novel nitrogen-containing scaffolds. Compounds sharing morphological similarities have been gathered in three libraries differing from each other in a single structural parameter.

Microwave-Assisted Solution- and Solid-Phase Synthesis of 2-Amino-4-arylpyrimidine Derivatives

An efficient and rapid microwave-assisted solution-phase method for the synthesis of 2-amino-4-arylpyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid derivatives has been developed. The five-step linear protocol involves an initial Biginelli multicomponent reaction leading to dihydropyrimidine-2-thiones which are subsequently S-alkylated with methyl iodide. The resulting 2-methylthiodihydropyrimidines are sequentially oxidized first with manganese dioxide and then with Oxone to provide 2-methylsulfonyl-pyrimidines which serve as excellent precursors for the generation of a variety of 2-substituted pyrimidines via displacement of the reactive sulfonyl group with nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and carbon nucleophiles. A modified protocol using a solid-phase method has also been developed.

Controlled Microwave Heating in Modern Organic Synthesis

Although fire is now rarely used in synthetic chemistry, it was not until Robert Bunsen invented the burner in 1855 that the energy from this heat source could be applied to a reaction vessel in a focused manner. The Bunsen burner was later superseded by the isomantle, oil bath, or hot plate as a source for applying heat to a chemical reaction. In the past few years, heating and driving chemical reactions by microwave energy has been an increasingly popular theme in the scientific community. This nonclassical heating technique is slowly moving from a laboratory curiosity to an established technique that is heavily used in both academia and industry. The efficiency of "microwave flash heating" in dramatically reducing reaction times (from days and hours to minutes and seconds) is just one of the many advantages. This Review highlights recent applications of controlled microwave heating in modern organic synthesis, and discusses some of the underlying phenomena and issues involved.