Sonochemical synthesis of 1,2,4,5-tetrasubstituted imidazoles using nanocrystalline MgAl2O4 as an effective catalyst

Synthesis of Imidazole-Based Molecules under Ultrasonic Irradiation Approaches

Imidazole-based compounds are a series of heterocyclic compounds that exhibit a wide range of biological and pharmaceutical activities. However, those extant syntheses using conventional protocols can be time-costly, require harsh conditions, and result in low yields. As a novel and green technique, sonochemistry has emerged as a promising method for organic synthesis with several advantages over conventional methods, including enhancing reaction rates, improving yields, and reducing the use of hazardous solvents. Contemporarily, a growing body of ultrasound-assisted reactions have been applied in the preparation of imidazole derivatives, which demonstrated greater benefits and provided a new strategy. Herein, we introduce the brief history of sonochemistry and focus on the discussion of the multifarious approaches for the synthesis of imidazole-based compounds under ultrasonic irradiation and its advantages in comparison with conventional protocols, including typical name-reactions and various sorts of catalysts in those reactions.

Highly Effective Generation of Singlet Oxygen by an Imidazole-Linked Robust Photosensitizing Covalent Organic Framework

Developing effective photosensitizers to initiate the generation of singlet oxygen (¹O₂) is of great significance in both chemistry and physiology. Herein, linking the photoactive porphyrin moieties by in situ-formed robust imidazole groups, a covalent organic framework (COF), PyPor-COF, was successfully designed and synthesized. Detailed characterizations reveal that it not only possesses high crystallinity, permanent porosity, and robust stability but also shows a semiconductive photoresponse activity. As demonstrated by electron paramagnetic resonance experiments, the COF can initiate the generation of ¹O₂ efficiently under visible-light irradiation, the efficiency of which is higher than that of the pristine porphyrin-based reactant and even higher than some commonly used commercially available photosensitizing agents. Anticancer experiments prove that it can efficiently trigger the production of ¹O₂ in a physiological environment. This work demonstrates that the imidazole-linked porphyrin-incorporated COF is a highly promising photosensitizer that can even be applied in photodynamic therapy.

Sonochemical Protocols for Heterocyclic Synthesis: A Representative Review

In the present era of the industrial revolution, we all are familiar with ever-increasing environmental pollution released from various chemical processes. Chemical production has had a severe impact on the environment and human health. For the betterment of our environment, the chemical community has turned their interest to developing green, harmless and sustainable synthetic processes. To accomplish these goals of green chemistry, the extraordinary properties of sonication play an important role. It is well known that sonochemistry can make decisive contributions to creating high pressures of almost 1000 atm and very high temperatures in the range of 4500-5000 °C. The implementation of ultrasound in chemical transformations somehow fulfils the measures of green chemistry, as it reduces energy consumption, enhances product selectivity, and uses lesser amounts of hazardous chemicals and solvents. Furthermore, heterocyclic synthesis under ultrasonication offers several environmental and process-related advantages compared with conventional methods. The remarkable contribution of ultrasonics to the development of green and sustainable synthetic routes inspired us to write this article. Herein, we have discussed only some of the various synthetic methodologies developed for the construction of heterocyclic cores under ultrasonic irradiation, accompanied by mechanistic insights. In some cases, a comparison between sonochemical conditions and conventional conditions has also been investigated. We emphasized principally 'up to date' developments on various sono-accelerated chemical transformations comprising aza-Michael, aldol reactions, C-C couplings, oxidation, cycloadditions, multi-component reactions, etc. for the synthesis of heterocycles.

Magnetic nanoparticle-supported sulfonic acid as a green catalyst for the one-pot synthesis of 2,4,5-trisubstituted imidazoles and 1,2,4,5-tetrasubstituted imidazoles under solvent-free conditions

In this work, magnetic nanoparticle-supported sulfonic acid (γ-Fe2O3-SO3H) is used as an efficient catalyst in the synthesis of 2,4,5-trisubstituted imidazoles and 1,2,4,5-tetrasubstituted imidazoles in a short time (40–70 min for trisubstituted imidazoles and 30–40 min for tetrasubstituted imidazoles) and high-purity products were obtained (92–98% for trisubstituted imidazoles and 94–98% for tetrasubstituted imidazoles) in simple multicomponent reactions. The structure of these products was confirmed via FT-IR and NMR. Green and recyclable catalysts, eco-friendly and solvent-free conditions, high catalytic activity, shorter reaction time, easy recovery by an external magnet, high purity, and excellent yields are some features of these reactions.

Greener organic synthetic methods: Sonochemistry and heterogeneous catalysis promoted multicomponent reactions

Ultrasound is an essential technique to improve organic synthesis from the point of view of green chemistry, as it can promote better yields and selectivities, in addition to shorter reaction times when compared to the conventional methods. Heterogeneous catalysis is another pillar of sustainable chemistry being the recycling and reuse of the catalysts one of its great advantage. In the other hand, multicomponent reactions provide the synthesis of structurally diverse compounds, in a one-pot fashion, without isolation and purification of intermediates. Thus, the combination of these protocols has proved to be a powerful tool to obtain biologically active organic compounds with lower costs, time and energy consumption. Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview of advances on methods of organic synthesis that have been reported over the past ten years with focus on ultrasound-assisted multicomponent reactions under heterogeneous catalysis. In particular, we present pharmacologically important N- and O-heterocyclic compounds, considering their synthetic methods using green solvents, and catalyst recycling.

Visible light-emitting diode light-driven one-pot four component synthesis of poly-functionalized imidazoles under catalyst- and solvent-free conditions

A visible light-emitting diode light-driven green and sustainable protocol has been demonstrated for the one-pot four component synthesis of poly-functionalized imidazoles under catalyst- and solvent-free conditions.

The first protection-free synthesis of magnetic bifunctional l-proline as a highly active and versatile artificial enzyme: Synthesis of imidazole derivatives

l-Proline is a bifunctional versatile organocatalyst that could promote a variety of useful transformations. Some passive and dynamic interactions between this simple amino acid and different substrates, which are necessary to enzymatic reactions, have given it "the simplest enzyme" title. Herein we presented the first report on the synthesis of magnetic bifunctional l-proline as an artificial enzyme without requiring any protection/deprotection steps according to an operationally simple process. This magnetic nano-biocatalyst is a promising catalyst that in a case study was successfully applied for the synthesis of 2,4,5-trisubstituted and 1,2,4,5-tetrasubstituted imidazoles in the 70-99% and 60-90% yields respectively, which it could be extended to the variety of l-proline-based organic transformations. The synergic effect of bifunctional l-proline shell as catalytic active site and magnetite nanoparticles core, which could function as protein mimics endow it high efficiency, versatility, recoverability, reusability and good turnover frequency, which are necessary characters for artificial enzymes' designing.

An efficient green protocol for the synthesis of tetra-substituted imidazoles catalyzed by zeolite BEA: effect of surface acidity and polarity of zeolite

Zeolite BEA catalyzed synthesis of highly substituted imidazoles via a green approach.

A new more atom-efficient multi-component approach to tetrasubstituted imidazoles: one-pot condensation of nitriles, amines and benzoin

A new more atom-efficient multi-component approach for the synthesis of tetrasubstituted imidazoles via the one-pot condensation of nitriles, primary amines and benzoin has been described.

Perlite: an inexpensive natural support for heterogenization of HBF4

Nano-perlite-fluoroboric acid (n-PeFBA) has been synthesized by immobilization of HBF₄ on perlite as a natural and cheap support to produce an efficient green heterogeneous reusable solid acid catalyst.

Synthesis of 2-aryl-1,1-Bis(Silyl)Alkenes-Containing Tetrasubstituted Imidazoles Catalysed by M–Cu/ZSM-5 (M: Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, V, Zn and Fe) Zeolites-Supported Bimetallic Nanostructures

The one-pot synthesis of tetrasubstituted imidazoles by using a series of M-Cu/ZSM-5 (M: Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, V, Zn and Fe) zeolites-supported bimetallic catalysts was studied. Fe-Cu/ZSM-5 bimetallic oxide catalyst had the highest activity in improving the efficiency of the heterogeneous cyclo-condensation reaction. Some imidazole derivatives terminated by vinylbis(silanes) have been synthesised using (Me3Si)3CLi through the Peterson olefination reaction.