Graphene oxide (GO) or reduced graphene oxide (rGO): efficient catalysts for one-pot metal-free synthesis of quinoxalines from 2-nitroaniline

Recent Methods for the Synthesis of Quinoxaline Derivatives and their Biological Activities

Quinoxaline derivatives have been incorporated into numerous marketed drugs used for the treatment of various diseases. Examples include glecaprevir (Mavyret), voxilaprevir (Vosevi), Balversa (L01EX16) (erdafitinib), carbadox, XK469R (NSC698215), and becampanel (AMP397). These quinoxaline derivatives exhibit a diverse range of pharmacological activities, including antibacterial, antitubercular, antiviral, anti-HIV, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, anticancer, antiproliferative, antitumor, kinase inhibition, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and analgesic effects. Recognizing the significance of these bioactive quinoxaline derivatives, researchers have dedicated their efforts to developing various synthetic methods for their production. This review aimed to compile the most recent findings on the synthesis and biological properties of quinoxaline derivatives from 2015 to 2023.

An overview of quinoxaline synthesis by green methods: recent reports

Quinoxalines and their derivatives belong to an important class of bicyclic aromatic heterocyclic system, also known as benzopyrazines, containing a benzene ring and a pyrazine ring. They have attracted considerable attention over the years due to their potential biological and pharmaceutical properties. A wide range of synthetic strategies is reported in this significant area of research. The present review showcases recent research advances in the synthesis of quinoxaline derivatives following environmentally benign approaches.

Recent advances in the transition-metal-free synthesis of quinoxalines

Quinoxalines, also known as benzo[a]pyrazines, constitute an important class of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds as a result of their widespread prevalence in natural products, biologically active synthetic drug candidates, and optoelectronic materials. Owing to their importance and chemists' ever-increasing imagination of new transformations of these products, tremendous efforts have been dedicated to finding more efficient approaches toward the synthesis of quinoxaline rings. The last decades have witnessed a marvellous outburst in modifying organic synthetic methods to create them sustainable for the betterment of our environment. The exploitation of transition-metal-free catalysis in organic synthesis leads to a new frontier to access biologically active heterocycles and provides an alternative method from the perspective of green and sustainable chemistry. Despite notable developments achieved in transition-metal catalyzed synthesis, the high cost involved in the preparation of the catalyst, toxicity, and difficulty in removing it from the final products constitute disadvantageous effects on the atom economy and eco-friendly nature of the transformation. In this review article, we have summarized the recent progress achieved in the synthesis of quinoxalines under transition-metal-free conditions and cover the reports from 2015 to date. This aspect is presented alongside the mechanistic rationalization and limitations of the reaction methodologies. The scopes of future developments are also highlighted.

Recent advances in the synthesis and reactivity of quinoxaline

Quinoxalines are observed in several bioactive molecules and have been widely employed in designing molecules for DSSC's, optoelectronics, and sensing applications. Therefore, developing newer synthetic routes as well as novel ways for their functionalization is apparent.

Synthesis of Reduced Graphene Oxide as a Support for Nano Copper and Palladium/Copper Catalysts for Selective NO Reduction by CO

Copper and palladium/copper nanoparticles supported on reduced graphene oxide catalysts were synthesized and evaluated for the selective NO reduction by CO. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, TGA, XPS, TPR, in situ XRD, STEM, and HRTEM. The STEM and HRTEM results showed high metal oxide dispersions on the rGO. XPS results showed the presence of Cu and Pd oxide species. The reduction of copper supported on the rGO occurred in two steps for CuO _x /rGO_c, while that for CuO _x -PdO _y /rGO_c occurred in one step for temperatures lower than 350 °C. Noteworthy is that the in situ XRD results showed that the rGO structure was not affected after reduction at 350 °C. The in situ XRD of reduction revealed the appearance of new phases for copper during the reduction. The catalysts were evaluated in NO reduction by CO. The tests showed that the reduced catalysts presented high performance with NO conversions and N₂ selectivity above 85% at 350 °C.

Bio-reduction of Graphene Oxide: Catalytic Applications of (Reduced) GO in Organic Synthesis

This work is based on various bio-reduction of graphene oxide into reduced graphene oxide and their applications in organic synthesis and group transformations. Graphene oxide, with abundant oxygencontaining functional groups on its basal plane, provides potential advantages, including excellent dispersibility in solvents and the good heterogeneous catalyst. This manuscript reviews various methods of synthesis of graphene and graphene oxide and a comparative study on their advantages and disadvantages, how to overcome disadvantages and covers extensive relevant literature review. In the last few years, investigation based on replacing the chemical reduction methods by some bio-compatible, chemical/impurity-free rGO including flash photo reductions, hydrothermal dehydration, solvothermal reduction, electrochemical approach, microwave-assisted reductions, light and radiation-induced reductions has been reported. Particularly, plant extracts have been applied significantly as an efficient reducing agent due to their huge bioavailability and low cost for bio-reduction of graphene oxide. These plant extracts mainly contain polyphenolic compounds, which readily get oxidized to the corresponding unreactive quinone form, which are the driving force for choosing them as bio-compatible catalyst. Currently, efforts are being made to develop biocompatible methods for the reduction of graphene oxide. The reduction abilities of such phytochemicals have been reported in the synthesis and stabilization of various nanoparticles viz. Ag, Au, Fe and Pd. Various part of plant extract has been applied for the green reduction of graphene oxide. Furthermore, the manuscript describes the catalytic applications of graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide nanosheets as efficient carbo-catalysts for valuable organic transformations. Herein, important works dedicated to exploring graphene-based materials as carbocatalysts, including GO and rGO for organic synthesis including various functional group transformations, oxidation, reduction, coupling reaction and a wide number of multicomponent reactions have been highlighted. Finally, the aim of this study is to provide an outlook on future trends and perspectives for graphene-based materials in metal-free carbo-catalysis in green synthesis of various pharmaceutically important moieties.

Eco-friendly approach to access of quinoxaline derivatives using nanostructured pyrophosphate Na2PdP2O7 as a new, efficient and reusable heterogeneous catalyst

In the present study, we report the synthesis of various quinoxaline derivatives from direct condensation of substituted aromatic 1,2-diamine with 1,2-dicarbonyl catalyzed by nanostructured pyrophosphate Na₂PdP₂O₇ as a new highly efficient bifunctionalheterogeneous catalyst. The quinoxaline synthesis was performed in ethanol as a green and suitable solvent at ambient temperature to afford the desired quinoxalines with good to excellent yields in shorter reaction times. Many Quinoxaline derivatives were successfully synthesized using various 1,2-diketones and 1,2-diamines at room temperature. Catalyst reusability showed that the Na₂PdP₂O₇ catalyst exhibited excellent recyclability without significant loss in its catalytic activity after five consecutive cycles.

Direct synthesis of novel quinoxaline derivatives via palladium-catalyzed reductive annulation of catechols and nitroarylamines

A palladium-catalyzed new hydrogenative annulation reaction of catechols and nitroarylamines, allowing straightforward access to two classes of novel quinoxaline derivatives, has been demonstrated.

Anticancer properties of N-alkyl-2, 4-diphenylimidazo [1, 2-a] quinoxalin-1-amine derivatives; kinase inhibitors

Structure activity correlation revealed that the quinoxaline ring is a satisfactory backbone for anticancer activity and a specific functional group at position 1 and 2 can improve the activity. In this basis, besides quinoxaline, imidazoles as potential anticancer agents were used as a supplementary agents for cancer treatment. In this paper, a new series of N-alkyl-2, 4-diphenylimidazo [1, 2-a] quinoxalin-1-amine derivatives were synthesized in a simple and efficient step. The products are fully characterized by 1H NMR, ¹³C NMR, FT-IR, HRMS, and CHN elemental analysis. Several starting materials with different functionalities have been used for the synthesis of the final products with high isolated yields. The biological activities of the synthesized compounds were evaluated in kinase inhibition and cytotoxic activity in several cancerous cell lines. All compounds (6) were evaluated for inhibition of the cell proliferation using 4 cancerous cell lines. Five of the more active compounds were studied for determination of IC50_%. Compounds 6(32-34) showed good activity on some of cancerous cell lines. The results showed that compound 6-32 has the highest biological activity (IC₅₀% 9.77 for K562 cell line). An IC₅₀% value of 15.84 µM was observed for 6-34. Furthermore 6-34 exhibited inhibition of ABL1 and c-Src kinases with an IC50% value of 5.25 µM and 3.94 µM respectively. Docking simulation was performed to position active synthesized compounds 6-32, 6-33, and 6-34 over the ABL1 active site in two different wild-type (DFG-in and DFG-out motif conformer) and T315I mutant to determine the probable binding orientation, conformation and mode of interaction. According to docking study, the docked location in wild type forms is similar and can be found near the P-loop region while in the case of T315I mutant form, the compounds have a distinct docked location which is close to the αC helix and activation loop. Also, it concluded the role of R₁ substituent on phenyl ring produced higher interaction energy. Additionally, the detailed inter-molecular energy and types of non-bonding interaction of these compounds over the wild-type and mutant form of ABL1.

Emerging Trends in the Syntheses of Heterocycles Using Graphene-based Carbocatalysts: An Update

Graphene-based carbocatalysts owing to numerous amazing properties such as large specific surface area, high intrinsic mobility, excellent thermal and electrical conductivities, chemical stability, ease of functionalization, simple method of preparation, effortless recovery and recyclability have gained a superior position amongst the conventional homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts. In this review, an endeavor has been made to highlight the syntheses of diverse heterocyclic compounds catalyzed by graphene-based catalysts. Further, the study also reveals that all the catalysts could be reused several times without significant loss in their catalytic activity. Additionally, most of the reactions catalyzed by graphene-based carbocatalysts were carried out at ambient temperature and under solvent-free conditions. Thus, the graphene-based catalysts do not merely act as efficient catalysts but also serve as sustainable, green catalysts. This review is divided into various sub-sections, each of which comprehensively describes the preparation of a particular heterocyclic scaffold catalyzed by graphene-derived carbocatalyst in addition to synthesis of graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide, functionalization, and structural features governing their catalytic properties. Synthesis of heterocycles catalyzed by graphene-based carbocatalysts.

Amine-functionalized graphene oxide nanosheets (AFGONs): an efficient bifunctional catalyst for selective formation of 1,4-dihydropyridines, acridinediones and polyhydroquinolines

We report here selective formation of functionalized 1,4-dihydropyridines (DHP), acridinediones and polyhydroquinolines in high yields using amine-functionalized graphene oxide nanosheets (AFGONs) as the bifunctional catalyst. The method overcomes the limitations of previous protocols affording a mixture of DHP and pyridine derivatives using graphene oxide as the catalyst. The mild reaction conditions are found compatible with a wide range of functional groups. It is presumed that a cooperative effect between the acidic and basic functionalities present in AFGONs may have exerted high catalytic efficiency as well as prevented further oxidation to pyridine derivatives. A plausible mechanism is proposed on the basis of some control experiments. The reactions can be scaled up conveniently, and the catalyst can be recycled for five consecutive runs without loss of its activity.

A Metal-Free Carbon-Based Catalyst: An Overview and Directions for Future Research

Metal-free carbon porous materials (CPMs) have gained the intensive attention of scientists and technologists because of their potential applications, ranging from catalysis to energy storage. Various simple and facile strategies are proposed for the preparation of CPMs with well-controlled sizes, shapes, and modifications on the surface. The extraordinary tenability of the pore structure, the environmental acceptability, the unique surface and the corrosion resistance properties allow them to be suitable materials for a large panel of catalysis applications. This review briefly outlines the different signs of progresses made towards synthesizing CPMs, and their properties, including catalytic efficiency, stability, and recyclability. Finally, we make a comparison of their catalytic performances with other nanocomposites, and we provide an outlook on the expected developments in the relevant research works.

Heterogeneous graphene oxide as recyclable catalyst for azomethine ylide mediated 1,3 dipolar cycloaddition reaction in aqueous medium

Graphene oxide (GO) catalyzed regio and diastereoselective synthesis of spiro-indenoquinoxaline pyrrolizidines and spiro-oxindoles pyrrolizidines is described with good substrate scope and yield using azomethine ylide under aq. EtOH condition at RT.

Catalytic Activity of Oxidized Carbon Black and Graphene Oxide for the Crosslinking of Epoxy Resins

This article compares the catalytic activities of oxidized carbon black (oCB) and graphene oxide (eGO) samples on the kinetics of a reaction of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) with a diamine, leading to crosslinked insoluble networks. The study is mainly conducted by rheometry and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). Following the same oxidation procedure, CB samples are more efficiently oxidized than graphite samples. For instance, CB and graphite samples with high specific surface areas (151 and 308 m²/g), as oxidized by the Hummers' method, exhibit O/C wt/wt ratios of 0.91 and 0.62, respectively. Due to the higher oxidation levels, these oCB samples exhibit a higher catalytic activity toward the curing of epoxy resins than fully exfoliated graphene oxide.

Recent advances in organic reactions catalyzed by graphene oxide and sulfonated graphene as heterogeneous nanocatalysts: a review

Over the past decade, the application of carbocatalyst systems has been preferred over that of homogeneous catalytic systems because of their advantages such as physical and thermal stability of the catalysts in successive reaction runs and reusability.