Synthesis of Substituted Pyrroles via Copper-Catalyzed Cyclization of Ethyl Allenoates with Activated Isocyanides

Modular Synthesis of Tetrasubstituted Pyrroles via an Annulative Migration Reaction of Allenyl Ketones and p-Toluenesulfonylmethyl Isocyanide

The metal-free cyclization of allenyl ketones and p-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide (TosMIC), promoted by Cs₂CO₃, provides a convenient access to tetrasubstituted pyrroles in which an acyl group undergoes 1,2-migration. This tandem Michael addition/annulative migration synthetic strategy is general and high-yielding for various substituted allenyl ketones. Moreover, a phosphoryl or ester moiety is also a suitable functionality to enable such migration.

Isocyanide-Based Multicomponent Reactions in Water: Advanced Green Tools for the Synthesis of Heterocyclic Compounds

Reaction rate acceleration using green methods is an intriguing area of research for chemists. In this regard, water as a "green solvent" plays a crucial role in the acceleration of some organic transformations and reveals exclusive selectivity and reactivity in comparison with conventional organic solvents. In particular, multicomponent reactions (MCRs) as sustainable tools lead to the rapid generation of small-molecule libraries in water and aqueous media due to the prominent role of the hydrophobic effect. MCRs, as diversity-oriented synthesis (DOS) methods, have great efficiency with simple operations, atom, pot, and step economy synthesis, and mechanistic beauty. Among diverse classes of MCRs, isocyanide-based multicomponent reactions (I-MCRs), as sustainable and versatile reactions, have gained considerable attention in the synthesis of diverse heterocycle rings, especially in drug design because of the peculiar nature of isocyanide as a particular active reactant. I-MCRs that are performed in water are mild, environmentally friendly, and easily controlled, and have a reduced number of workup, purification, and extraction steps, which fit well with the advantages of "green" chemistry. Performing these powerful organic transformations in water and aqueous media is accompanied by acceleration owing to negative activation volumes, which originate from connecting several reactants together to generate a single product. It should be noted that the combination of MCR strategy and aqueous phase reaction is of growing interest for the development of sustainable synthetic techniques in organic conversions. However, an exclusive account focusing on the recent progress in eco-friendly I-MCRs for the construction of heterocycles in water and aqueous media is particularly lacking. This review highlights the progress of various kinds of I-MCRs in water and aqueous media as benign methods for the efficient construction of vital heterocyclic scaffolds, with a critical discussion of the subject in the period 2000-2021. We hope that this themed collection will be of interest and beneficial for organic and pharmaceutical chemists and will inspire more reaction development in this fascinating field.

Amphiphilic Fullerene-BODIPY Photosensitizers for Targeted Photodynamic Therapy

Nanotheranostic tailor-made carriers are potent platforms for the treatment of cancer that propound a number of advantages over conventional agents for photodynamic therapy (PDT). Herein, four new heavy atom free amphiphilic glucose-BODIPY-fullerene dyads (14-17) endowed with carbohydrate units in the styryl units, which can also form nanomicelles (14-17NM) with Tween 80 for PDT are reported. Glucose-BODIPY-fullerene systems (14-17) and related nanomicelles (14-17NM) have been prepared to emcee efficient singlet oxygen generation upon light irradiation. In vitro anti-tumor effects of the compounds 14-17 and 14-17NM in the presence of light and in darkness have been investigated with K562 human chronic myelogenous leukemia suspension cells. Anti-tumor toxicity upon light irradiation was due to the formation of singlet oxygen and reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study may provide an accomplished example of efficient PDT applications based on nanovehicles fabricated with universal spin converter, fullerene, light harvesting unit, BODIPY dyes conjugated with targeting units to fight against cancer.

One pot synthesis of isocyano-containing, densely functionalised gem-difluoroalkenes from α-trifluoromethyl alkenes, alkyl halides and TosMIC

A base-promoted one-pot, three-component reaction of TosMIC with α-trifluoromethyl alkenes and alkyl halides has been deveolped for the synthesis of isocyano-containing, densely functionalised gem-difluoroalkenes.

Synthesis of polysubstituted pyrroles via isocyanide-based multicomponent reactions as an efficient synthesis tool

The present review covers all synthetic methods based on isocyanide-based multicomponent reactions for the preparation of polysubstituted pyrroles as the parent cores of many essential drugs, biologically active compounds, and compounds with wide application in materials science.

Phosphine-catalyzed [4 + 2] annulation of γ-benzyl allenoates: facile synthesis of benzothieno[3,2-b]pyran derivatives

An efficient tris(4-methoxyphenyl)phosphane catalyzed domino reaction between γ-benzyl allenoate and ethyl (Z)-2-(3-oxobenzo[b]thiophen-2(3H)-ylidene)acetate has been developed, which produces a series of 2H-benzo[4,5]thieno[3,2-b]pyran derivatives in high yields.