l-Proline: an efficient catalyst for the one-pot synthesis of 2,4,5-trisubstituted and 1,2,4,5-tetrasubstituted imidazoles

Synthesis and characterization of new biocatalyst based on LDH functionalized with l-asparagine amino acid for the synthesis of tri-substituted derivatives of 2, 4, 5-(H1)-imidazoles

In this study, a new and recyclable biocatalyst (MgAl CO3-LDH@Asn) was synthesized by immobilizing l-asparagine amino acid (Asn) on the surface of 3-(chloropropyl)-trimethoxysilane modified MgAl CO3-layered double hydroxide (LDH). The physicochemical properties of the samples were identified by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques. The MgAl CO3-LDH@Asn was employed in the multi-component assembly process for the synthesis of tri-substituted derivatives of 2,4,5-(H1)-imidazoles from benzyl, various benzaldehyde derivatives, and ammonium acetate. For optimizing the reaction, the main factors, including the amount of MgAl CO3-LDH@Asn, type of solvent, reaction time, and temperature were evaluated. The optimum conditions of the model reaction were achieved using 20 mg of MgAl CO3-LDH@Asn biocatalyst in ethanol solvent after 20 min at reflux temperature. According to the findings above, the results indicated that high-yield products are achieved within a short time frame. Moreover, the high catalytic activity of the MgAl CO3-LDH@Asn was maintained for four cycles without significantly diminishing its performance.

Copper borate (CuB4O7)-promoted multi-component green synthesis of 2,4,5-triarylimidazole derivatives and evidence of in situ conversion of copper borate (CuB4O7) into Cu(OAc)2 in the presence of NH4OAc

A green, efficient, and straightforward methodology for the three-component synthesis of 2,4,5-triarylimidazole has been developed under solvent-free conditions using unconventional CuB₄O₇ as a promoter. This green approach encouragingly provides access to a library of 2,4,5-tri-arylimidazole. Also, we have been able to isolate the compound (5) and (6) in situ, which provides an insight into the direct conversion of CuB₄O₇ into copper acetate in the presence of NH₄OAc under solvent-free condition. The main advantage of this protocol includes an easy reaction procedure, short reaction time, and easy work up of the product without using any tedious separation method.

Magnetic polyborate nanoparticles as a green and efficient catalyst for one-pot four-component synthesis of highly substituted imidazole derivatives

In this study, magnetic polyborate nanoparticles (MPBNPs) were prepared via a simple procedure from boric acid by using ball-milling and then characterized by various spectroscopic, microscopic and analytical methods including FT-IR, EDX, XRD, FESEM, VSM and TGA analysis. The obtained MPBNPs were further explored, as a green and highly efficient catalyst, in the multi-component synthesis of a wide range of tetra-substituted imidazoles from cascade cyclocondensation as well as in situ air oxidation of benzil or benzoin, aromatic aldehydes, primary amine and ammonium acetate in EtOH, as a green solvent, under reflux conditions. Additionally, environmentally friendly conditions for the preparation of the catalyst by the use of non-toxic reactants, facile procedure and high to excellent yields of the desired products as well as the use of a green solvent are some advantages of this new protocol.

Preparation of polysubstituted imidazoles using AC-SO3H/[Urea]7[ZnCl2]2 as an efficient catalyst system: a novel method, and α-glucosidase inhibitor activity

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) act as both an organic solvent and a useful catalyst for organic synthesis reactions, especially the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds containing the element nitrogen. DESs exhibit many important properties namely large liquid fields, biodegradability, outstanding thermal stability, and moderate vapor pressure. Amorphous carbon-bearing sulfonic acid groups (AC-SO3H) are one of the new-generation solid acids showing strong acid activity. Based on the simultaneous presence of acidic functional groups such as carboxylic acid, phenolic, and sulfonic acid groups, they exhibit many important activities namely strong Brønsted acid, high surface area, high stability, reusability, and recyclability. In this study, AC-SO3H was made from rice husk via the carbonization and sulfonation processes, and the surface properties and structure were examined using contemporary methods such as FT-IR, P-XRD, TGA, SEM, and EDS. And, [Urea]7[ZnCl2]2 was synthesized from urea and ZnCl2 with a mole ratio of 7 : 2; the structure is defined using FT-IR and TGA. By combining AC-SO3H and [Urea]7[ZnCl2]2 we aim to form an effective catalyst/solvent system for the preparation of polysubstituted imidazole derivatives through the multi-component cyclization reaction from nitrobenzenes, benzil, aldehydes, and ammonium acetate. The major products are obtained with high isolation yields above 60%. To assess the catalyst system's activity, the recovery and reusability of the AC-SO3H/[Urea]7[ZnCl2]2 system were examined with hardly any performance modification. In an effort to create potential enzyme α-glucosidase inhibitors, several novel polysubstituted imidazoles were created. Five of these compounds showed good enzyme α-glucosidase inhibitor activity. The most effective substances were IMI-13, IMI-15, and IMI-20, with IC50 values that were greater than the acarbose at 16.5, 15.8, and 11.6 μM, respectively - the acarbose (IC50, 214.5 μM) as the positive control.

Exploring the untapped catalytic application of a ZnO/CuI/PPy nanocomposite for the green synthesis of biologically active 2,4,5-trisubstituted imidazole scaffolds

This work is focused on designing an innovative, efficient, and reusable heterogeneous ZnO/CuI/PPy nanocomposite via the self-assembly approach where pyrrole is oxidized into polypyrrole (PPy) and pyrrole also behaves as a reductant in the presence of KI. This so-obtained material was characterized by XRD, FTIR, FESEM, EDX, TEM, XPS, and ICP. TEM clearly shows a spherical morphology with the particle size ranging between 18 and 42 nm. The fabricated nanomaterial was tested for one-pot catalytic synthesis of biologically active 2,4,5-trisubstituted imidazoles under solvent-free conditions. The present work includes the benefits of an easy work-up procedure, higher product yield, shorter reaction duration, and no additional additive requirement under green and sustainable conditions. Moreover, the catalyst exhibited reusability for six runs with no considerable reduction in the respective yields and reactivity (confirmed by XRD, SEM, and TEM of the recycled catalyst). The ICP study shows very low leaching of copper (2.08 ppm) and zinc (0.12 ppm) metals. The approach also presented better values of green metrics like the E-factor, process mass intensity, carbon efficiency and reaction mass efficiency.

An efficient and eco-compatible multicomponent synthesis of 2,4,5-trisubstituted imidazole derivatives using modified-silica-coated cobalt ferrite nanoparticles with tungstic acid

The aim of this study has been to offer a method for the synthesis of 2,4,5-trisubstituted imidazole derivatives based on green chemistry principles. Therefore, a one-pot multicomponent cyclocondensation reaction through aldehyde interaction with ammonium acetate and 1,2-diketone under solvent-free conditions was utilized as an eco-effective synthetic route using CoFe₂O₄@SiO₂@(-CH₂)₃OWO₃H NPs as the catalyst. The stabilized tungstic acid on 3-chloropropyl-anchored SiO₂-coated CoFe₂O₄ magnetic nanoparticles was designed, prepared, and applied as a recyclable heterogeneous acid catalyst to attain high product yield in a short reaction time. The nanocatalyst structure was confirmed using FT-IR, Raman, XRD, FE-SEM, EDX, VSM, and TGA techniques, and the organic product structures were examined by melting point, FT-IR and ¹H NMR analyses.

Design and preparation of nanoarchitectonics of LDH/polymer composite with particular morphology as catalyst for green synthesis of imidazole derivatives

This paper was designed and prepared a new nanoarchitectonics of LDH/polymer composite with specific morphology. For this purpose, CTAB surfactant was used to control the morphology of layered double hydroxide (LDH) and to prepare LDH/polymer nanocomposites (LDH-APS-PEI-DTPA). The polymer was synthesized using diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), polyethylenimine and used with LDH to form a nanocomposite with high thermal stability. Subsequently, the prepared nanocomposite was identified using FTIR, EDX, TGA, XRD, FESEM, and BET techniques. In addition, the prepared LDH-APS-PEI-DTPA nanocomposite was used as a heterogeneous and recyclable catalyst for the synthesis of imidazole derivatives under green conditions. The results showed that the LDH-APS-PEI-DTPA nanocomposite benefit from suitable morphology, simple preparation, high catalytic activity, and high surface area. Also, the proposed LDH-APS-PEI-DTPA heterogeneous catalyst showed high stability and reusability for five consecutive runs which was consistent with the principles of green chemistry.

An efficient green protocol for the synthesis of 1,2,4,5-tetrasubstituted imidazoles in the presence of ZSM-11 zeolite as a reusable catalyst

In this study, we have synthesized a series of ZSM-11 zeolite catalysts using tetrapropyl ammonium hydroxide as a structure-directing agent through a highly efficient hydrothermal method. The series of catalysts were studied by different techniques such as FT-IR spectroscopy, XRD, FE-SEM, HR-TEM, EDS, pyridine-FT-IR spectroscopy, and BET analysis. We focused on varying reaction time intervals from 18 to 48 hours to investigate the effect on catalytic activities of the synthesized series of catalysts. The percentages of aluminum increased in the framework of zeolites with increasing crystallinity, surface area, external surface area, and acidity in the series of ZSM-11 zeolites by increasing the time from 18 to 48 h. Then, we studied the catalytic activity of a series of ZSM-11 zeolites and found that the ZSM-11 zeolite (48 h) possesses higher catalytic activity towards the synthesis of 1,2,4,5-tetrasubstituted imidazoles under solvent-free conditions. The present protocol scored well with excellent yield, short reaction time, clean reaction profiles, low catalyst loading, and no tedious workup. The catalyst (ZSM-11 zeolite 48 h) was recycled and reused in five runs without any considerable loss of activity and product yield.

Pyromellitic diamide-diacid bridged mesoporous organosilica nanospheres with controllable morphologies: a novel PMO for the facile and expeditious synthesis of imidazole derivatives

In this work, novel pyromellitic diamide-diacid bridged mesoporous organosilica (PMAMOS) nanospheres with controllable morphologies and Brønsted acid catalytic centers were designed and prepared through a convenient method by altering the addition sequence of precursors, solvent, and aging time. The obtained PMAMOSs demonstrate high surface areas and uniform pore sizes. FESEM, HRTEM, BET, EDX, XRD, FTIR and TGA analyses were performed to characterize and examine the effective factors for the preparation of PMAMOS nanospheres. Due to the appropriate physicochemical properties including Brønsted acid centers, suitable surface area and thermal stability of the PMAMOS nanosphere material, it was explored in the three-component reaction of benzyl or benzoin, ammonium acetate, and different aldehyde derivatives as a case study of multicomponent reactions. Corresponding imidazole derivatives were obtained in EtOH under reflux conditions in high to quantitative yields and short reaction times. It was also shown that the heterogeneous solid acid can be reused at least five times with negligible loss of its catalytic activity, indicating the appropriate stability and high activity of the newly introduced mesoporous organosilica.

Task-Specific Tailored Cationic Polymeric Network with High Base-Resistance for Unprecedented 99TcO4 - Cleanup from Alkaline Nuclear Waste

Direct removal of 99TcO4 - from alkaline nuclear waste is desirable because of the nuclear waste management and environmental protection relevant to nuclear energy but is yet to be achieved given that combined features of decent base-resistance and high uptake selectivity toward anions with low charge density have not been integrated into a single anion-exchange material. Herein, we proposed a strategy overcoming these challenges by rationally modifying the imidazolium unit of a cationic polymeric network (SCU-CPN-4) with bulky alkyl groups avoiding its ring-opening reaction induced by OH- because of the steric hindrance effect. This significantly improves not only the base-resistance but also the affinity toward TcO4 - as a result of enhanced hydrophobicity, compared to other existing anion-exchange materials. More importantly, SCU-CPN-4 exhibits record high uptake selectivity, fast sorption kinetics, sufficient robustness, and promising reusability for removing 99TcO4 - from the simulated high-level waste stream at the U.S. Savannah River Site, a typical alkaline nuclear waste, in both batch experiment and dynamic column separation test for the first time.

TMSOTf-catalyzed synthesis of trisubstituted imidazoles using hexamethyldisilazane as a nitrogen source under neat and microwave irradiation conditions

In the process of drug discovery and development, an efficient and expedient synthetic method for imidazole-based small molecules from commercially available and cheap starting materials has great significance. Herein, we developed a TMSOTf-catalyzed synthesis of trisubstituted imidazoles through the reaction of 1,2-diketones and aldehydes using hexamethyldisilazane as a nitrogen source under microwave heating and solvent-free conditions. The chemical structures of representative trisubstituted imidazoles were confirmed using X-ray single-crystal diffraction analysis. This synthetic method has several advantages including the involvement of mild Lewis acid, being metal- and additive-free, wide substrate scope with good to excellent yields and short reaction time. Furthermore, we demonstrate the application of the methodology in the synthesis of biologically active imidazole-based drugs.

Trisubstituted imidazoles are synthesized efficiently from the readily available 1,2-diketones and aldehydes using hexamethyldisilazane as a new and stable nitrogen source under TMSOTf-catalysis system, microwave heating and solvent-free conditions.

Two-photon fluorescent probes for detecting the viscosity of lipid droplets and its application in living cells

Lipid droplets (LDs) are storage organelles at the centre of lipid and energy homeostasis, which act as vital hubs of cellular metabolism and the key to maintaining lipid and energy homeostasis. We synthesized a new two-photon fluorescent probe (CIV) that could detect the viscosity of lipid droplets. The probe is constructed via the typical ICT system of D–π–A using carbazole as the donor and imidazole as the acceptor. With the increase in viscosity from PBS to 99% glycerol, the fluorescence intensity of CIV increased by 13-fold, showing sensitivity and specificity towards viscosity. In addition, CIV showed low toxicity and excellent biocompatibility in cytotoxicity tests, and was successfully used for living cell LD imaging. Taken together, the results widen the way for the development of novel fluorescent probe-based the visualization LDs and detection in solutions, physiology and pathology.

A novel two-photon fluorescence probe (CIV) can detect the viscosity and locate lipid droplets in living cells.

NiO nanocomposites/rGO as a heterogeneous catalyst for imidazole scaffolds with applications in inhibiting the DNA binding activity

Herein, we report a facile approach to synthesize a new highly versatile heterogeneous catalyst by spontaneous aerial oxidation based on nickel oxide nanocomposites immobilized on surface-functionalized reduced graphene oxide sheets. NiO nanocomposite/reduced graphene oxide (rGO-NiO-NC) is a highly efficient, cost-effective, reusable, selective, and eco-friendly nano-catalyst that does not lose any activity even after five reaction cycles. Nickel loading on the rGO-NiO nanocomposite was found to be 3.3 at%, which contributes to the effective and efficient use of rGO-NiO-NCs as a nano-catalyst for the synthesis of imidazole derivatives. Consequently, a series of imidazole derivatives were synthesized, catalyzed by rGO-NiO-NCs, in 60 min with high yields (86% to 96%) under green conditions. Furthermore, the present synthetic methodology was used for the synthesis of highly aromatic imidazole derivatives (B1-B3) whose calf thymus-DNA binding affinities suggest their superior inhibition ability to displace ethidium bromide (EB), which was further confirmed by molecular docking studies. Additionally, the green chemistry matrix of the synthesis reaction was found to be very close to ideal values, such as carbon efficiency (82.32%), E-factor (0.51), atom economy (77.86%), process mass intensity (1.51), and reaction mass efficiency (66.14%).

Development of novel and green NiFe2O4/geopolymer nanocatalyst based on bentonite for synthesis of imidazole heterocycles by ultrasonic irradiations

Geopolymers as aluminosilicate inorganic polymers and eco-friendly building materials which can be used as substrate for different kinds of composite. In this research, according to the fabrication of geopolymer based on bentonite as a substrate and embedment of NiFe2O4 nanoparticles in the construction of this polymer, the synthesis of a new magnetic nanocomposite (NiFe2O4/geopolymer) was investigated for the first time. In order to describe its chemistry and morphology features, different analyses such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images, Brunauer-Emmet-Teller adsorption-desorption isotherm, X-ray diffraction pattern, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and vibrating-sample magnetometer analysis were used. The application of this novel nanocatalyst was studied for one-pot three-component condensation reaction of substituted imidazole derivatives by accelerated ultrasonic irradiations. Compared to the other conventional catalysts which were used for the synthesis of imidazole derivatives, the green synthesis method for fabrication of this heterogeneous and magnetic nanocatalyst, its high thermal stability, being eco-friendly, noticeable efficiency and easy reusability have become privileges to be superior.

Polysubstituted Imidazoles as LysoTracker Molecules: Their Synthesis via Iodine/H2O and Cell-Imaging Studies

An iodine-catalyzed, environmentally benign one-pot methodology has been developed for the synthesis of diverse substituted imidazoles. This transition-metal-free, aerobic, water-mediated cyclization reaction is operationally simple and works well with different amines or aldehydes by multiple C-N bond formations with satisfactory yield. The methodology is regioselective as well as scalable. These imidazole derivatives show excellent fluorescence properties both in the solid and solution phase, which is further extended to live-cell imaging. Due to the suitable fluorescence properties of these scaffolds, lysosome-directing groups are incorporated in two of these derivatized imidazoles to track intracellular lysosomes. Successfully, those molecules show bright blue fluorescence while detecting lysosomes in human or murine cells and can be considered to be rapid lysosome-staining probes.

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.

Design and Synthesis of Imidazo/Benzimidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline Derivatives and Evaluation of Their Antimicrobial Activity

A new class of fused quinazolines has been designed and synthesized via copper-catalyzed Ullmann type C-N coupling followed by intramolecular cross-dehydrogenative coupling reaction in moderate to good yields. The synthesized compounds were tested for in vitro antibacterial activity against three Gram negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas putida, and Salmonella typhi) and two Gram positive (Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria. Among all tested compounds, 8ga, 8gc, and 8gd exhibited promising minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values (4-8 μg/mL) for all bacterial strains tested as compared to the positive control ciprofloxacin. The synthesized compounds were also evaluated for their in vitro antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans and compounds 8ga, 8gc, and 8gd having potential antibacterial activity also showed pronounced antifungal activity (MIC values 8-16 μg/mL) against both strains. The bactericidal assay by propidium iodide and live-dead bacterial cell screening using a mixture of acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/Et·Br) showed considerable changes in the bacterial cell membrane, which might be the cause or consequence of cell death. Moreover, the hemolytic activity for most potent compounds (8ga, 8gc, and 8gd) showed their safety profile toward human blood cells.