Recent advances in nanoparticles towards sustainability and their application in organic transformations in aqueous media

Nanoparticles (NPs) play a crucial role in organic transformation and are becoming increasingly attractive in the field of catalysis as they show good catalytic activity in organic as well as aqueous media. Numerous NPs have been utilized for several organic transformations in aqueous media, which have led to dedicated efforts for the complete coverage of the application of metal, metal oxide, bimetallic and supported NPs in water-mediated organic transformations in the last decades. This review aims to provide current highlights on the application of various types of metal NPs for organic transformations in aqueous media. The remarkable benefits associated with the catalytic application of NPs in water allows for various transformations to be performed under very mild and green conditions. Lastly, the author's perspectives are briefly considered, including future developments and crucial challenges in the ever-growing field of nanocatalysis.

A decennary update on applications of metal nanoparticles (MNPs) in the synthesis of nitrogen- and oxygen-containing heterocyclic scaffolds

Heterocycles have been found to be of much importance as several nitrogen- and oxygen-containing heterocycle compounds exist amongst the various USFDA-approved drugs. Because of the advancement of nanotechnology, nanocatalysis has found abundant applications in the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds. Numerous nanoparticles (NPs) have been utilized for several organic transformations, which led us to make dedicated efforts for the complete coverage of applications of metal nanoparticles (MNPs) in the synthesis of heterocyclic scaffolds reported from 2010 to 2019. Our emphasize during the coverage of catalyzed reactions of the various MNPs such as Ag, Au, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pd, Pt, Rh, Ru, Si, Ti, and Zn has not only been on nanoparticles catalyzed synthetic transformations for the synthesis of heterocyclic scaffolds, but also provide an inherent framework for the reader to select a suitable catalytic system of interest for the synthesis of desired heterocyclic scaffold.

Synthesis Chalones and Their Isomerization into Flavanones and Azaflavanones

Flavanones [2-aryl-2,3-dihydrochromen-4(1H)ones] and 2-aryl-2,3-dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-ones are valuable precursors in the synthesis of important pharmacological scaffolds, so efficient methodologies towards their synthesis are important in the medicinal chemistry context. Their synthesis also involves theoretical concepts such as aldol condensation, isomerization, and catalysis that make it useful in an undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory. The use of both microwave irradiation as a source of energy to promote reactions and efficient catalysts are considered within green chemistry principles, mostly because the reaction yields are improved and reaction time decreased. In this paper, the efficiency of microwave irradiation use in the synthesis of chalcone derivatives and efficient catalyst systems to promote their isomerization into flavanones and 2-aryl-2,3-dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-ones is demonstrated.