Direct alkenylation of alkylazaarenes with aldehydes through C(sp3)–H functionalization under catalytic InCl3 activation

Green synthesis and antitumor activity of (E)-diethyl 2-styrylquinoline-3,4-dicarboxylates

In this work, a green, efficient and catalyst-free synthesis of a series of structurally novel (E)-diethyl 2-styrylquinoline-3,4-dicarboxylates via a direct olefination reaction between diethyl 2-methylquinoline-3,4-dicarboxylate and various aromatic aldehydes was successfully accomplished by employing eco-friendly 1,3-dimethylurea/l-(+)-tartaric acid (DMU/LTA) as an inexpensive, non-toxic and reusable reaction medium. This methodology has the attractive advantages of mild reaction conditions, simple experimental operation, and the absence of any dangerous catalysts or unsafe volatile organic solvents, with satisfactory to good yields. Subsequently, a primary in vitro evaluation for their anti-proliferative activity against human cancer cell lines A549, HT29 and T24 revealed that the compound with the 3,4,5-trimethoxystyryl moiety exhibited potent anti-tumor activity with IC50 values of 2.38, 4.52 and 9.86 μmol L-1, respectively, thereby being equipotent or even better than the reference cisplatin.

A sustainable metal-free and additive-free olefination route to N-heteroazaarenes from methyl-substituted heterocycles and amines

A green and sustainable metal-free, additive-free olefination approach is proposed for the facile synthesis of various unsaturated N-heteroazaarenes from simple methyl-substituted heteroarenes and amines. The developed protocol employs only air as the sole oxidant and provides a useful strategy for obtaining various E-selective conjugated heterocyclic olefins. This provides a useful strategy for application in generating grams of a variety of unsaturated N-heteroazaarenes (up to 20.33 grams) and the synthetic imaging agents of STB-8 (2.40 gram) with high regioselectivity in one pot.

Metal-free synthesis of functionalized tacrine derivatives and their evaluation for acetyl/butyrylcholinesterase and α-glucosidase inhibition

A mild and greener protocol was developed for C-C (C(sp3)-H functionalization) and C-N bond formation to synthesize functionalized tacrine derivatives using a biodegradable and reusable deep eutectic solvent [(DES) formed from N,N'-dimethyl urea and L-(+)-tartaric acid in a 3 : 1 ratio at 80 °C]. The condensation of 9-chloro-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridines with a variety of aromatic aldehydes gave unsaturated compounds via C(sp3)-H functionalization (at the C-4 position) with good yields. The substituted N-aryl tacrine derivatives were obtained from the condensed products of 9-chloro-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridine with substituted anilines via the nucleophilic substitution reaction (SN2 type) in the DES with good yields. This is the first example of C4-functionalized tacrine derivatives, highlighting the dual capacity of the DES to serve as both a catalyst and a solvent for facilitating C-N bond formation on acridine. The generated compounds were evaluated for acetyl/butyrylcholinesterase (AChE/BChE) and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. It was found that the majority of the compounds reported here were significantly more potent inhibitors than the standard inhibitor tacrine (AChE IC50 = 203.51 nM; BChE IC50 = 204.01 nM). Among the compounds screened, 8m was found to be more potent with IC50 = 125.06 nM and 119.68 nM towards AChE and BChE inhibition respectively. The α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of the compounds was tested using acarbose as a standard drug (IC50 = 23 100 nM) and compound 8j was found to be active with IC50 = 19 400 nM.

Unconventional Reactivity of a Grubbs Catalyst: Hydroalkylation Overriding Metathesis

Unprecedented reactivity of a Grubbs catalyst has been disclosed in a reaction between vinyl azaarenes and alkenylnitriles under standard metathesis conditions. No metathesis was observed; only hydroalkylation products were obtained in high yields. The practical utility of this method has been demonstrated by the application of the products in useful transformations, e.g., the formation of cyclic iminoesters and highly challenging medium-sized carbocycles.

Conversion of 2-methyl-4-styrylquinolines into 2,4-distyrylquinolines: synthesis, and spectroscopic and structural characterization of five examples

Four new 2,4-distyrylquinolines and one 2-styryl-4-[2-(thiophen-2-yl)vinyl]quinoline have been synthesized using indium trichloride condensation reactions between aromatic aldehydes and the corresponding 2-methylquinolines, which were themselves prepared using Friedländer annulation reactions between mono- or diketones and (2-aminophenyl)chalcones: the products have all been fully characterized by spectroscopic and crystallographic methods. 2,4-Bis[(E)-styryl]quinoline, C25H19N, (IIa), and its dichloro analogue, 2-[(E)-2,4-dichlorostyryl]-4-[(E)-styryl]quinoline, C25H17Cl2N, (IIb), exhibit different orientations of the 2-styryl unit relative to the quinoline nucleus. In each of the 3-benzoyl analogues {2-[(E)-4-bromostyryl]-4-[(E)-styryl]quinolin-3-yl}(phenyl)methanone, C32H22BrNO, (IIc), {2-[(E)-4-bromostyryl]-4-[(E)-4-chlorostyryl]quinolin-3-yl}(phenyl)methanone, C32H21BrClNO, (IId), and {2-[(E)-4-bromostyryl]-4-[(E)-2-(thiophen-2-yl)vinyl]quinolin-3-yl}(phenyl)methanone, C30H20BrNOS, (IIe), the orientation of the 2-styryl unit is similar to that in (IIa), but the orientation of the 4-arylvinyl units show considerable variation. The thiophene unit in (IIe) is disordered over two sets of atomic sites having occupancies of 0.926 (3) and 0.074 (3). There are no hydrogen bonds of any kind in the structure of (IIa), but in (IId), a single C-H...O hydrogen bond links the molecules into cyclic centrosymmetric R22(20) dimers. A combination of C-H...N and C-H...π hydrogen bonds links the molecules of (IIb) into a three-dimensional framework structure. A combination of three C-H...π hydrogen bonds links the molecules of (IIc) into sheets, and a combination of C-H...O and C-H...π hydrogen bonds forms sheets in (IIe). Comparisons are made with the structures of some related compounds.

A three-step pathway from (2-aminophenyl)chalcones to novel styrylquinoline-chalcone hybrids: synthesis and spectroscopic and structural characterization of three examples

Three new styrylquinoline-chalcone hybrids have been synthesized using a three-step pathway starting with Friedländer cyclocondensation between (2-aminophenyl)chalcones and acetone to give 2-methyl-4-styrylquinolines, followed by selective oxidation to the 2-formyl analogues, and finally Claisen-Schmidt condensation between the formyl intermediates and 1-acetylnaphthalene. All intermediates and the final products have been fully characterized by IR and 1H/13C NMR spectroscopy, and by high-resolution mass spectrometry, and the three products have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The molecular conformations of (E)-3-{4-[(E)-2-phenylethenyl]quinolin-2-yl}-1-(naphthalen-1-yl)prop-2-en-1-one, C30H21NO, (IVa), and (E)-3-{4-[(E)-2-(4-fluorophenyl)ethenyl]quinolin-2-yl}-1-(naphthalen-1-yl)prop-2-en-1-one, C30H20FNO, (IVb), are very similar. In each compound, the molecules are linked into a three-dimensional array by hydrogen bonds, of the C-H...O and C-H...N types in (IVa), and of the C-H...O and C-H...π types in (IVb), and by two independent π-π stacking interactions. By contrast, the conformation of the chalcone unit in (E)-3-{4-[(E)-2-(2-chlorophenyl)ethenyl]quinolin-2-yl}-1-(naphthalen-1-yl)prop-2-en-1-one, C30H20ClNO, (IVc), differs from those in (IVa) and (IVb). There are only weak hydrogen bonds in the structure of (IVc), but a single rather weak π-π stacking interaction links the molecules into chains. Comparisons are made with some related structures.

Synthesis and spectroscopic and structural characterization of three new 2-methyl-4-styrylquinolines formed using Friedländer reactions between (2-aminophenyl)chalcones and acetone

Three new 2-methyl-4-styrylquinoline derivatives have been synthesized in high yields using Friedländer reactions between chalcones [1-(2-aminophenyl)-3-arylprop-2-en-1-ones] and acetone, and characterized using IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry, and by crystal structure analysis. In (E)-4-(4-fluorostyryl)-2-methylquinoline, C18H14FN, (I), the molecules are joined into cyclic centrosymmetric dimers by C-H...N hydrogen bonds and these dimers are linked into sheets by π-π stacking interactions. The molecules of (E)-2-methyl-4-[4-(trifluoromethyl)styryl]quinoline, C19H14F3N, (II), are linked into cyclic centrosymmetric dimers by C-H...π hydrogen bonds and these dimers are linked into chains by a single π-π stacking interaction. There are no significant hydrogen bonds in the structure of (E)-4-(2,6-dichlorostyryl)-2-methylquinoline, C18H13Cl2N, (III), but molecules related by translation along [010] form stacks with an intermolecular spacing of only 3.8628 (2) Å. Comparisons are made with the structures of some related compounds.

Metal-free, one-pot synthesis of 2-styrylquinolines via Friedländer annulation and sp3 C–H activation using 1,3-dimethylurea and l-tartaric acid (3 : 1) as a deep eutectic solvent

Functionalized 2-styrylquinolines are prepared using DMU + l-(+)-tartaric acid as deep eutectic solvent. DFT calculations supported the experimental results on role of DES as catalyst. The absorption-emission spectra indicating that these compounds can be useful as fluorescent probes.

NH4I-mediated sp3 C-H cross-dehydrogenative coupling of benzylamines with 2-methylquinoline for the synthesis of E-2-styrylquinolines

Without any metal catalyst, a simple and efficient method for the synthesis of E-2-styrylquinolines through sp3 C-H cross-dehydrogenative coupling of benzylamines with 2-methylquinolines mediated by NH4I under air is successfully developed. The oxidative olefination proceeded through deamination and sp3 C–H bond activation. A plausible mechanism is proposed for the construction of E-2-styrylquinolines.

Afterglow Amplification for Fast and Sensitive Detection of Porphyria in Whole Blood

Porphyria is a group of genetic photodermatoses that cause too much porphyrin to accumulate in the blood, skin, and liver, resulting in skin photosensitivity and damage, liver disease, or potential liver failure. Conventional detection methods include high-performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence spectrometry. However, these methods usually require complicated pretreatment and time-consuming processes. Therefore, efficient and fast detection of porphyria is urgently needed. Herein, we develop a molecular afterglow reporter-based sensing scheme for the detection of porphyrins in whole blood. The afterglow reporter can respond to the production of singlet oxygen (¹O₂) of porphyrins after light excitation, and the detection signals can be amplified through adjusting the amount of singlet oxygen and afterglow reporter molecules. Moreover, without the use of a real-time excitation source, afterglow signals can avoid the scattering and autofluorescence interference in biological samples, thereby reducing background noise. More importantly, we prove the applicability of the afterglow reporter in the quantitative detection of porphyrins in whole blood and demonstrate its great clinical potential.

Rh-Catalyzed C-H Amination/Annulation of Acrylic Acids and Anthranils by Using -COOH as a Deciduous Directing Group: An Access to Diverse Quinolines

A method for the synthesis of diverse polysubstituted quinolines from readily available acrylic acids and anthranils has been developed. The weakly coordinating -COOH directing group, which can be tracelessly removed in the cascade cyclization, is essential for this reaction. Diverse polysubstituted quinolines were obtained under mild reaction conditions with simple H₂O and CO₂ as byproducts. More importantly, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridine, which is the core skeleton of tacrine (an Alzheimer's disease drug), was conveniently synthesized.

Recent synthetic efforts in the preparation of 2-(3,4)-alkenyl (aryl) quinoline molecules towards anti-kinetoplastid agents

Leishmaniasis, Chagas disease and African sleeping sickness have been considered some of the most important tropical protozoan afflictions. As the number of drugs currently available to treat these human illnesses is severely limited and the majority has poor safety profiles and complicated administration schedules, actually there is an urgent need to develop new effective, safe and cost-effective drugs. Because quinoline alkaloids with antiprotozoal activity (quinine, chimanine, cryptolepine or huperzine groups) were historically and are still essential models for drug research to combat these parasitic infections, synthetic or semi-synthetic quinoline-based molecules are important for anti-kinetoplastid drug design approaches and synthetic methods of their preparation become a key task that is the central subject of this review. Its goal is to highlight the advances in the conventional and current syntheses of new 2-(3,4)-alkenyl (aryl) quinoline derivatives, which kill the most important kinetoplastid protozoa, - Leishmania and Trypanosoma and could be useful models for antileishmanial and antitrypanosomal research. An attempt has been made to present and discuss the more recent contributions in this field over the period 2015-2019, paying special attention to molecular design, synthetic efforts to new green reaction conditions for classical methods such as Skraup synthesis, Friedländer synthesis, Conrad-Limpach, Doebner-Miller, as well as contemporary methods like Gould-Jacobs, Meth-Cohn and Povarov reactions. This review includes brief general information on these neglected tropical diseases, their current chemotherapies, and primary natural models (quinoline alkaloids), suitable for development of anti-kinetoplastid quinoline-based agents. The main part of the review comprises critical discussion on the synthesis and chemistry of new quinolines diversely substituted by alkyl (alkenyl, aryl) fragments on the pyridine part of the quinoline skeleton, which could be considered interesting analogues of chimanine alkaloids. The methods described in this review were developed with the aim of overcoming the drawbacks of the traditional protocols using revolutionary precursors and strategies.

Recent trends in catalytic sp3 C-H functionalization of heterocycles

Heterocycles are a ubiquitous substructure in organic small molecules designed for use in materials and medicines. Recent work in catalysis has focused on enabling access to new heterocycle structures by sp³ C-H functionalization on alkyl side-chain substituents-especially at the heterobenzylic position-with more than two hundred manuscripts published just within the last ten years. Rather than describing in detail each of these reports, in this mini-review we attempt to highlight gaps in existing techniques. A semi-quantitative overview of ongoing work strongly suggests that several specific heterocycle types and bond formations outside of C-C, C-N, and C-O have been almost completely overlooked.

Microwave-assisted, rapid synthesis of 2-vinylquinolines and evaluation of their antimalarial activity

A rapid and efficient synthesis of 2-vinylquinolines via trifluoromethanesulfonamidemediated olefination of 2-methylquinoline and aldehyde under microwave irradiation is reported. Biological evaluation of these scaffolds demonstrates that 2-vinylquinolines 3x - 3z possess excellent antimalarial activities against chloroquine-resistant Dd2 strain of Plasmodium falciparum (IC50 < 100 nM).

Regioselective addition of C(sp3)–H bonds of alkyl pyridines to olefins catalysed by cationic zirconium complexes

The first group 4 metal catalysts are developed to catalyse C(sp³)–H addition of alkyl pyridines to olefins. Ligand-controlled regioselectivity was observed and verified.

Facile Synthesis of Azaarene-Substituted Hydroxycoumarins Possessing High Biological Activities via Three-Component C(sp(3))-H Functionalization

An unprecedented three-component C(sp(3))-H functionalization of 2-alkylazaarenes with aryl aldehydes and 4-hydroxycoumarins was realized, providing azaarene-substituted 3-benzyl-4-hydroxycoumarins in good to excellent yields. These new target compounds displayed broad-spectrum antibacterial activities, providing a new type of antibacterial skeleton.