Multicomponent Polymerizations of Elemental Sulfur, CH2Cl2, and Aromatic Amines toward Chemically Recyclable Functional Aromatic Polythioureas

The exploration of new polymer materials required the development of efficient, economic, robust, and scalable synthetic routes, taking energy consumption, environmental benefit, and sustainability into overall consideration. Herein, through retro-polymerization analysis of functional aromatic polythioureas, a multicomponent reaction of elemental sulfur, CH2Cl2, and aromatic amines was designed with the assistance of fluoride, and efficient, economic, and robust multicomponent polymerizations (MCPs) of these three abundantly available cheap monomers, elemental sulfur, CH2Cl2, and aromatic diamines, were developed to realize scalable conversion directly from sulfur to a series of functional aromatic polythioureas with high molecular weights (Mn up to 50,800 g/mol) in excellent yields (up to 98%). The synergistic cooperation of the strong and selective coordination of thiourea with gold ions and the redox property of aromatic polythiourea enable in situ reduction of Au3+ to elemental gold under a normal bench condition. Furthermore, the functional aromatic polythiourea could be chemically recycled through aminolysis with NH3·H2O to afford a diamine monomer in 83% isolated yield. The development of elemental sulfur-based MCP has brought the opportunity to access cost-effective and sustainable sulfur-containing functional polymer materials, which is anticipated to provide a solution for the utilization of sulfur waste and making profitable polymer materials.

Isothiocyanates: happy-go-lucky reagents in organic synthesis

Owing to their unique structural features, isothiocyanates (ITCs) are a class of highly useful and inimitable reagents as the -NCS group serves both as electrophile and nucleophile in organic synthesis. ITCs share a rich legacy in organic, medicinal, and combinatorial chemistry. Compared to their oxygen equivalents, isocyanates, ITCs are easily available, less unpleasant, and somewhat less harmful to work with (mild conditions) which makes them happy-go-lucky reagents. Functionalized ITCs can finely tune the reactivity of the -NCS group and thus can be exploited in the late-stage functionalization processes. This review's primary aim is to outline ITC chemistry in the construction and derivatization of heterocycles through the lens of sustainability. For ease and brevity, the sections are divided based on reactive centers present in functionalized ITCs and modes of cyclisation. Scrutinizing their probable unexplored directions for future research studies is also addressed.

Recent advancement in the synthesis of isothiocyanates

Isothiocyanates exhibit various biological characteristics, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. Their significance extends to synthetic chemistry, where they serve as valuable platforms for versatile transformations. Consequently, they have attracted the attention of biologists and chemists. This review summarizes recent advancements in the synthesis of isothiocyanates. Access to a variety of starting materials is important to prepare isothiocyanates with diverse structures. This review categorizes synthetic methods into three types based on the starting materials and functional groups: (i) type A, derived from primary amines; (ii) type B, derived from other nitrogen functional groups; and (iii) type C, derived from non-nitrogen groups. Recent trends in synthetic methods have revealed the prevalence of type-A reactions derived from primary amines. However, type B reactions have rarely been reported. Notably, over the past four years, there has been a notable increase in type C reactions, indicating a growing interest in non-nitrogen-derived isothiocyanates. Overall, this review not only outlines the advancements in the synthesis of isothiocyanates but also highlights trends in the methodology.

Green synthesis of thiourea derivatives from nitrobenzenes using Ni nanoparticles immobilized on triazine-aminopyridine-modified MIL-101(Cr) MOF

Nanohybrid metal-organic frameworks (MOF) have recently been considered next-generation catalysts regarding their unique features like large surface-to-volume ratio, tailorable geometry, uniform pore sizes, and homogeneous distribution of active sites. In this report, we address the triazine-aminopyridine-modified 3D Cr-centred MOF MIL-101(Cr)-NH2 following a post-synthetic modification approach. The excellent chelating ability of triazine-aminopyridine was applied to immobilize Ni ions over the host matrix MOF. The as-synthesized material was physicochemically characterized using various analytical techniques like FT-IR, electron microscopy, EDS, elemental mapping, XRD, and ICP-OES. Subsequently, the material has been catalytically employed in synthesizing new thiourea derivatives by reacting to nitrobenzene derivatives and phenyl isocyanate. The catalyst was isolated by centrifugation and recycled in 6 consecutive runs without momentous loss of its reactivity.

Iron(III)-Catalyzed Regioselective Synthesis of Electron-Rich Benzothiazoles from Aryl Isothiocyanates via C-H Functionalization

We report herein a direct synthetic route for the preparation of 2-arylbenzothiazoles using aryl isothiocyanates and electron-rich arenes. The synthetic route involves triflic acid promoted addition of the arenes to aryl isothiocyanates followed by FeCl₃-catalyzed C-S bond formation via C-H functionalization. The approach provides the advantage of synthesis of benzothiazoles without the conventional use of aryl aldehyde/carboxylic acid precursors employing the less expensive iron(III) catalyst.

DBU-Promoted Deaminative Thiolation of 1H-Benzo[d]imidazol-2-amines and Benzo[d]oxazol-2-amines

A facile and efficient catalyst-/metal-/oxidant-free DBU-promoted deaminative thiolation reaction of 1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-amines and benzo[d]oxazol-2-amines has been developed at room temperature conditions in a one-pot protocol. This practical three-component strategy represents a novel and environmentally friendly reaction pathway toward the straightforward synthesis of various 2-thio-1H-benzo[d]imidazoles and 2-thiobenzo[d]oxazoles using carbon disulfide as a sulfur source through C-N bond cleavage and C-S bond formation process. Different types of 1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-amines, benzo[d]oxazol-2-amines, and organic bromides are suitable substrates. The gram-scale and late-stage modification experiments provide the potential applications based on this methodology in the field of organic and medicinal chemistry.

Mechanochemical Preparation of Protein : hydantoin Hybrids and Their Release Properties

Mechanochemistry is a versatile methodology that can be employed both for covalent bond formation in organic synthesis as well as a mediator to allow preparation novel colloidal dispersions for drug delivery. Herein, ball-milling was employed for the solid-state preparation of fluorescent hydrophobic hydantoins, followed by the unprecedented mechanochemically-mediated complexation of hydrophobic hydantoins within hydrophilic protein β-lactoglobulin (BLG) and BLG nanofibrils (BLGNFs). These hydantoin:protein materials were in turn incorporated into hydrogels. The effect of incorporation of hydantoins into proteins, as well as the effect of protein structure, on the release properties were then investigated. The conversion of BLG to BLGNFs led to a more sustained release demonstrating that heat treatment of BLG into BLGNFs could be employed to modify release properties. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example where protein : hydantoin complexes were prepared by mechanochemical methodology and mechanochemistry was combined with self-assembly in order to prepare protein nanomaterials for drug-delivery applications. In addition, the use of the developed protein materials is not limited to delivery of drugs but can for example be employed as components of smart food (delivery of nutrients) or release systems of pesticides.

Synthesis, characterization, and pharmacological evaluation of thiourea derivatives

Thioureas and their derivatives are organosulfur compounds having applications in numerous fields such as organic synthesis and pharmaceutical industries. Symmetric thiourea derivatives were synthesized by the reaction of various anilines with CS2. The synthesized compounds were characterized using the UV-visible and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic techniques. The compounds were screened forin vitroinhibition of α-amylase, α-glucosidase, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) enzymes and for their antibacterial and antioxidant potentials. These compounds were fed to Swiss male albino mice to evaluate their toxicological effects and potential to inhibit glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) inhibition. The antibacterial studies revealed that compound4was more active against the selected bacterial strains. Compound1was more active against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2’-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) free radicals, AChE, BuChE, and α-glucosidase. Compound2was more potent against α-amylase and G6Pase. Toxicity studies showed that compound4is safe as it exerted no toxic effect on any of the hematological and biochemical parameters or on liver histology of the experimental animals at any studied dose rate. The synthesized compounds showed promising antibacterial and antioxidant potential and were very active (bothin vitroandin vivo) against G6Pase and moderately active against the other selected enzymes used in this study.

Development of (4-methoxyphenyl)-1H-tetrazol-5-amine regioisomers as a new class of selective antitubercular agents

A series of halogenated (4-methoxyphenyl)-1H-tetrazol-5-amine regioisomers (1a-9a, 1b-9b) were synthesized from their corresponding thiourea analogues (1-9). The synthesis pathway was confirmed by an X-ray crystallographic studies of 1a, 1b and 5a. Title derivatives were tested for their in vitro antitubercular activity against standard, "wild-type" and atypical mycobacteria. The highest therapeutic potential was attributed to isomeric N-(bromophenyl)tetrazoles 8a and 9a. Their growth-inhibitory effect against multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Spec. 210 was 8-16-fold stronger than that of the first-line tuberculostatics. Other new tetrazole-derived compounds were also more or equally effective towards that pathogen comparing to the established pharmaceuticals. Among non-tuberculous strains, Mycobacterium scrofulaceum was the most susceptible to the presence of the majority of tetrazole derivatives. The synergistic interaction was found between 9a and streptomycin, as well as the additivity of both 8a and 9a in pairs with isoniazid, rifampicin and ethambutol. None of the studied compounds displayed antibacterial or cytotoxic properties against normal and cancer cell lines, which indicated their highly selective antimycobacterial effects.

One-step construction of unsymmetrical thioureas and oxazolidinethiones from amines and carbon disulfide via a cascade reaction sequence

A versatile and efficient route for the preparation of unsymmetrical thioureas and oxazolidinethiones from amines and carbon disulfide has been achieved via a cascade reaction sequence.

Multicomponent mechanochemical synthesis

Historically, the use of mechanochemical methods in synthesis has been almost negligible, but their perception by the synthetic community has changed in recent years and they are on their way to becoming mainstream. However, the hybridization of mechanochemical synthesis with methodologies designed to increase synthetic efficiency by allowing the generation of several bonds in a single operation has taken off only recently, but it already constitutes a very promising approach to sustainable chemistry. In this context, we provide in this Perspective a critical summary and discussion of the main known synthetic methods based on mechanochemical multicomponent reactions.

Mechanochemical solid-state synthesis of 2-aminothiazoles, quinoxalines and benzoylbenzofurans from ketones by one-pot sequential acid- and base-mediated reactions

α-Chloroketones - obtained by the atom-economical chlorination of ketones with trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA) in the presence of p-TSA under ball-milling conditions - were set up for a sequential base-mediated condensation reaction with thiourea/thiosemicarbazides, o-phenylenediamine and salicylaldehyde to afford 2-aminothiazoles, 2-hydrazinylthiazoles, quinoxalines and benzoylbenzofurans, respectively, in respectable yields. The viability of one-pot sequential acid- and base-mediated reactions in the solid state under ball-milling conditions is thus demonstrated.

Mechanochemical synthesis of thioureas, ureas and guanidines

In this review, the recent progress in the synthesis of ureas, thioureas and guanidines by solid-state mechanochemical ball milling is highlighted. While the literature is abundant on their preparation in conventional solution environment, it was not until the advent of solvent-free manual grinding using a mortar and pestle and automated ball milling that new synthetic opportunities have opened. The mechanochemical approach not only has enabled the quantitative synthesis of (thio)ureas and guanidines without using bulk solvents and the generation of byproducts, but it has also been established as a means to develop "click-type" chemistry for these classes of compounds and the concept of small molecule desymmetrization. Moreover, mechanochemistry has been demonstrated as an effective tool in reaction discovery, with emphasis on the reactivity differences in solution and in the solid state. These three classes of organic compounds share some structural features which are reflected in their physical and chemical properties, important for application as organocatalysts and sensors. On the other hand, the specific and unique nature of each of these functionalities render (thio)ureas and guanidines as the key constituents of pharmaceuticals and other biologically active compounds.

Metal-Free Synthesis of 2-Aminobenzothiazoles via Iodine-Catalyzed and Oxygen-Promoted Cascade Reactions of Isothiocyanatobenzenes with Amines

In this paper, a highly efficient and sustainable synthesis of 2-aminobenzothiazoles through the cascade reactions of isothiocyanatobenzenes with primary or secondary amines by using iodine as a catalyst and oxygen as an oxidant is presented. Mechanistically, the formation of the title compounds involves the in situ formation of the required benzothiourea intermediate followed by its intramolecular cross dehydrogenative coupling of a C(sp²)-H bond and a S-H bond. To our knowledge, this should be the first example in which 2-aminobenzothiazoles are efficiently prepared from simple and cheap isothiocyanates and amines under metal-free conditions by using iodine as a catalyst and molecular oxygen as an oxidant with water as the byproduct. Compared with literature protocols, this method eliminates the use of ortho-halo-substituted precursors, expensive transition-metal catalysts, and hazardous oxidants.

Convenient Synthesis of Unsymmetrical N,N′-disubstituted Thioureas in Water

A simple and convenient two-step method has been developed and used to synthesise 25 (4 of which are novel) unsymmetrical N,N′-disubstituted thioureas in water. Alkylamines or variously substituted arylamines reacted smoothly with phenyl chlorothionoformate at room temperature to form thiocarbamates, which were then reacted with another alkyl- or arylamine in water at reflux to afford the unsymmetrical N,N′-disubstituted thioureas in good to excellent yields. Mild conditions, simple work-up, high yields as well as using water as solvent are the major advantages of the method.

Practical synthesis of symmetrical thioureas and heterocyclic thiones in water

A simple and practical protocol for the synthesis of symmetric thioureas and heterocyclic thiones has been developed. It involves the reaction of amines with phenyl chlorothionoformate in water to afford the symmetrical thioureas or heterocyclic thiones in good to excellent yields. Various amines including aromatic, aliphatic and chiral amines survived the reaction conditions. Mild conditions, simple work-up and high yields as well as using water as solvent are the major advantages of this protocol.

Development of solvent-free synthesis of hydrogen-bonded supramolecular polyurethanes

A solvent free ball-milling method for the synthesis of small molecule and oligomeric carbamates is described that is applicable to supramolecular polymer synthesis.

In this work we describe the solvent free synthesis of supramolecular polyurethanes held together by heterocomplementary triple hydrogen bonding. We perform a systematic evaluation on the base catalyzed synthesis of small molecule ureas and carbamates from a range of isocyanates, amines and alcohols in solution and in the solid state using ball milling. These optimized procedures are then shown to be applicable to the synthesis of supramolecular polyurethanes using solvent-free methods.

A one-pot approach to pyridyl isothiocyanates from amines

A one-pot preparation of pyridyl isothiocyanates (ITCs) from their corresponding amines has been developed. This method involves aqueous iron(III) chloride-mediated desulfurization of a dithiocarbamate salt that is generated in situ by treatment of an amine with carbon disulfide in the present of DABCO or sodium hydride. The choice of base is of decisive importance for the formation of the dithiocarbamate salts. This one-pot process works well for a wide range of pyridyl ITCs. Utilizing this protocol, some highly electron-deficient pyridyl and aryl ITCs are obtained in moderate to good yields.

Mechanochemical milling promoted solvent-free imino Diels–Alder reaction catalyzed by FeCl3: diastereoselective synthesis of cis-2,4-diphenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolines

Cis-2,4-diphenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolines were diastereoselectively synthesized by FeCl₃-promoted solvent-free Diels–Alder reaction of in situ generated imine with styrene under ball milling.