Microwave-assisted organic synthesis and transformations using benign reaction media

Solvent-free copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition under mechanochemical activation

The ball-mill-based mechanochemical activation of metallic copper powder facilitates solvent-free alkyne-azide click reactions (CuAAC). All parameters that affect reaction rate (i.e., milling time, revolutions/min, size and milling ball number) have been optimized. This new, efficient, facile and eco-friendly procedure has been tested on a number of different substrates and in all cases afforded the corresponding 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazole derivatives in high yields and purities. The final compounds were isolated in almost quantitative overall yields after simple filtration, making this procedure facile and rapid. The optimized CuAAC protocol was efficiently applied even with bulky functionalized β-cyclodextrins (β-CD) and scaled-up to 10 g of isolated product.

Microwave-assisted synthesis, molecular docking and antiproliferative activity of (3/5-aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazole-5/3-yl)(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)methanone oxime derivatives

A microwave-assisted synthesis method of building a 1,2,4-oxadiazole skeleton was developed.

Imaging of the nuclei of living tumor cells by novel ruthenium(ii) complexes coordinated with 6-chloro-5-hydroxylpyrido[3,2-a]phenazine

Novel ruthenium(ii) complex 1 can be developed as a low toxicity fluorescence probe for living cell nuclei in future.

Magnetically separable core–shell iron oxide@nickel nanoparticles as high-performance recyclable catalysts for chemoselective reduction of nitroaromatics

A magnetically separable core–shell iron oxide@nickel nanocatalyst was synthesized, characterized and applied for the aromatic nitro group reduction.

Diversified facile synthesis of benzimidazoles, quinazolin-4(3H)-ones and 1,4-benzodiazepine-2,5-diones via palladium-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation/condensation cascade of nitro arenes under microwave irradiation

An efficient methodology for diversified preparation of benzimidazole, quinazolin-4(3H)-ones and 1,4-benzodiazepine-2,5-diones is established using a Pd-CTH/condensation cascade of nitro arenes in a TEA–formic acid mixture under microwave irradiation.

‘On-water’ organic synthesis: a green, highly efficient, low cost and reusable catalyst system for biaryl synthesis under aerobic conditions at room temperature

The PdCl₂/sucrose/K₂CO₃/H₂O system showed the superb catalytic activity towards the Suzuki reaction of a wide range of aryl/heteroaryl halides with diverse phenylboronic acids at room temperature with operational simplicity and shorter reaction time.

Oxidation of secondary alcohols by conventional and microwave-assisted methods using molybdenum complexes of ONO donor ligands

Oxidation of secondary alcohols by conventional liquid phase and microwave-assisted methods using molybdenum complexes is reported.

Switchable stereocontrolled divergent synthesis induced by aza-Michael addition of deactivated primary amines under acid catalysis

Switchable tandem intramolecular aza-Michael/Michael and double aza-Michael reactions allow the oriented synthesis of highly functionalised cyclic skeletons. Conjugate addition of deactivated anilines triggers chemo- and stereo-divergent ring-closure reaction pathways with a striking selectivity depending on reaction conditions.

Microwave assisted one-pot catalyst free green synthesis of new methyl-7-amino-4-oxo-5-phenyl-2-thioxo-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidine-6-carboxylates as potent in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activity

An efficiently simple protocol for the synthesis of methyl 7 amino-4-oxo-5-phenyl-2-thioxo-2, 3, 4,5-tetrahydro-1H-pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidine-6-carboxylates via one-pot three component condensation pathway is established via microwave irradiation using varied benzaldehyde derivatives, methylcyanoacetate and thio-barbituric acid in water as a green solvent. A variety of functionalized substrates were found to react under this methodology due to its easy operability and offers several advantages like, high yields (78–94%), short reaction time (3–6 min), safety and environment friendly without used any catalyst. The synthesized compounds (4a–4k) showed comparatively good in vitro antimicrobial and antifungal activities against different strains. The Compounds 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d 4e and 4f showed maximum antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus (gram-positive bacteria), Escherichia coli, Klebshiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (gram-negative bacteria). The synthesized compound 4f showed maximum antifungal activity against Aspergillus Niger and Penicillium chrysogenum strains. Streptomycin is used as standard for bacterial studies and Mycostatin as standards for fungal studies. Structure of all newly synthesized products was characterized on the basis of IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and mass spectral analysis.

Microwave-Assisted Three-Component “Catalyst and Solvent-Free” Green Protocol: A Highly Efficient and Clean One-Pot Synthesis of Tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyrans

A green and highly efficient method has been developed for the one-pot synthesis of tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyrans via a three-component condensation of aldehydes, 1,3-cyclic diketones, and malononitrile under MW irradiation without using any catalyst and solvent. This transformation presumably occurs by a sequential Knoevenagel condensation, Michael addition, and intramolecular cyclization. Operational simplicity, solvent and catalyst-free conditions, the compatibility with various functional groups, nonchromatographic purification technique, and high yields are the notable advantages of this procedure.

Rapid two-step synthesis of benzimidazo[1',2':1,5]pyrrolo[2,3-c]isoquinolines by a three-component coupling reaction

A two-step, three-component coupling reaction on ionic liquid supported 2-cyanomethylbenzimidazoles, methyl 2-formylbenzoate, and isocyanides under microwave activation is explored. Knoevenagel condensation of 2-cyanomethylbenzimidazole with methyl-2-formylbenzoate in the presence of piperidine catalyst is followed by [4+1] cycloaddition with an isocyanide in the next step. Consequent intramolecular δ-lactam formation allows rapid construction of novel aza-pentacycles, benzimidazo[1',2':1,5]pyrrolo[2,3-c]isoquinolines.

Nano Cu-catalyzed efficient and selective reduction of nitroarenes under combined microwave and ultrasound irradiation

In situ preparation of copper nanoparticles from a copper acetate precursor and its application as an efficient catalyst for the selective reduction of aromatic nitro compounds with hydrazine hydrate under combined microwave and ultrasound irradiation were described in detail. The results reveal the synergetic effect of microwave and ultrasound on the synthesis of copper nanoparticles, and formation of various amino derivatives.

Copper-organic frameworks assembled from in situ generated 5-(4-pyridyl)tetrazole building blocks: synthesis, structural features, topological analysis and catalytic oxidation of alcohols

Two new metal-organic compounds {[Cu3(μ3-4-ptz)4(μ2-N3)2(DMF)2](DMF)2}n (1) and {[Cu(4-ptz)2(H2O)2]}n (2) {4-ptz = 5-(4-pyridyl)tetrazolate} with 3D and 2D coordination networks, respectively, have been synthesized while studying the effect of reaction conditions on the coordination modes of 4-pytz by employing the [2 + 3] cycloaddition as a tool for generating in situ the 5-substituted tetrazole ligands from 4-pyridinecarbonitrile and NaN3 in the presence of a copper(ii) salt. The obtained compounds have been structurally characterized and the topological analysis of 1 discloses a topologically unique trinodal 3,5,6-connected 3D network which, upon further simplification, results in a uninodal 8-connected underlying net with the bcu (body centred cubic) topology driven by the [Cu3(μ2-N3)2] cluster nodes and μ3-4-ptz linkers. In contrast, the 2D metal-organic network in 2 has been classified as a uninodal 4-connected underlying net with the sql [Shubnikov tetragonal plane net] topology assembled from the Cu nodes and μ2-4-ptz linkers. The catalytic investigations disclosed that 1 and 2 act as active catalyst precursors towards the microwave-assisted homogeneous oxidation of secondary alcohols (1-phenylethanol, cyclohexanol, 2-hexanol, 3-hexanol, 2-octanol and 3-octanol) with tert-butylhydroperoxide, leading to the yields of the corresponding ketones up to 86% (TOF = 430 h(-1)) and 58% (TOF = 290 h(-1)) in the oxidation of 1-phenylethanol and cyclohexanol, respectively, after 1 h under low power (10 W) microwave irradiation, and in the absence of any added solvent or additive.

Microwave-assisted chemistry: synthetic applications for rapid assembly of nanomaterials and organics

The magic of microwave (MW) heating technique, termed the Bunsen burner of the 21st century, has emerged as a valuable alternative in the synthesis of organic compounds, polymers, inorganic materials, and nanomaterials. Important innovations in MW-assisted chemistry now enable chemists to prepare catalytic materials or nanomaterials and desired organic molecules, selectively, in almost quantitative yields and with greater precision than using conventional heating. By controlling the specific MW parameters (temperature, pressure, and ramping of temperature) and choice of solvents, researchers can now move into the next generation of advanced nanomaterial design and development. Microwave-assisted chemical reactions are now well-established practices in the laboratory setting although some controversy lingers as to how MW irradiation is able to enhance or influence the outcome of chemical reactions. Much of the discussion has focused on whether the observed effects can, in all instances, be rationalized by purely thermal Arrhenius-based phenomena (thermal microwave effects), that is, the importance of the rapid heating and high bulk reaction temperatures that are achievable using MW dielectric heating in sealed reaction vessels, or whether these observations can be explained by so-called "nonthermal" or "specific microwave" effects. In recent years, innovative and significant advances have occurred in MW hardware development to help delineate MW effects, especially the use of silicon carbide (SiC) reaction vessels and the accurate measurement of temperature using fiber optic (FO) temperature probes. SiC reactors appear to be good alternatives to MW transparent borosilicate glass, because of their high microwave absorptivity, and as such they serve as valuable tools to demystify the claimed magical MW effects. This enables one to evaluate the influence of the electromagnetic field on the specific chemical reactions, under truly identical conventional heating conditions, wherein temperature is measured accurately by fiber optic (FO) probe. This Account describes the current status of MW-assisted synthesis highlighting the introduction of various prototypes of equipment, classes of organic reactions pursued using nanomaterials, and the synthesis of unique and multifunctional nanomaterials; the ensuing nanomaterials possess zero-dimensional to three-dimensional shapes, such as spherical, hexagonal, nanoprisms, star shapes, and nanorods. The synthesis of well-defined nanomaterials and nanocatalysts is an integral part of nanotechnology and catalysis science, because it is imperative to control their size, shape, and compositional engineering for unique deployment in the field of nanocatalysis and organic synthesis. MW-assisted methods have been employed for the convenient and reproducible synthesis of well-defined noble and transition core-shell metallic nanoparticles with tunable shell thicknesses. Some of the distinctive attributes of MW-selective heating in the synthesis and applications of magnetic nanocatalysts in organic synthesis under benign reaction conditions are highlighted. Sustainable nanomaterials and their applications in benign media are an ideal blend for the development of greener methodologies in organic synthesis; MW heating provides superb value to the overall sustainable process development via process intensification including the flow systems.

Microwave-assisted synthesis of novel julolidinyl-based nonlinear optical chromophores with enhanced electro-optic activity

Under microwave (MW) irradiation at a proper temperature, three chromophores (A, B and C) with julolidinyl-based donors and TCF or CF₃-Ph-TCF acceptors have been synthesized in high overall yields compared with the conventional heating method.

Recent advances in Michael addition of H-phosphonates

The review discusses recent achievements in the development of more environmentally friendly and economically competitive processes for the synthesis of biologically and synthetically important phosphorus-bearing compounds by conjugate addition of hydrogen-phosphonates to different Michael acceptors.

A general catalyst for Suzuki–Miyaura and Sonogashira reactions of aryl and heteroaryl chlorides in water

An air-stable sulfonated indenyl phosphine/Pd-catalyst system was used in Suzuki–Miyaura and Sonogashira coupling reactions in water.

Effect of microwave irradiation time and temperature on the spectroscopic and morphological properties of nanostructured poly(carbazole) synthesized within bentonite clay galleries

Polycarbazole chains form loops which extend into spirals within the clay galleries. These spirals reorganize into spheres, when extracted from clay galleries.

“The green side of the moon: ecofriendly aspects of organoselenium chemistry”

Key aspects for the development of a greener synthesis and the use of the organoselenium compounds.

Solvent-free and catalysts-free chemistry: a benign pathway to sustainability

In the past decade, alternative benign organic methodologies have become an imperative part of organic syntheses and chemical reactions. The various new and innovative sustainable organic reactions and methodologies using no solvents or catalysts and employing alternative energy inputs such as microwaves, sonication, conventional and room temperature heating conditions, mechanochemical mixing, and high-speed ball milling are discussed in detail. Environmentally benign and pharmaceutically important reactions such as multicomponent, condensation, and Michael addition reactions; ring opening of epoxides; and oxidation and other significant organic reactions are discussed. An overview of benign reactions through solvent- and catalyst-free (SF-CF) chemistry and a critical perspective on emerging synergies between SF-CF organic reactions are discussed.