Ultrasonic accelerated Knoevenagel condensation by magnetically recoverable MgFe2O4 nanocatalyst: A rapid and green synthesis of coumarins under solvent-free conditions

Coumarin-Synthetic Methodologies, Pharmacology, and Application as Natural Fluorophore

Coumarins are secondary metabolites made up of benzene and α-pyrone rings fused together that can potentially treat various ailments, including cancer, metabolic, and degenerative disorders. Coumarins are a diverse category of both naturally occurring as well as synthesized compounds with numerous biological and therapeutic properties. Coumarins as fluorophores play a key role in fluorescent labeling of biomolecules, metal ion detection, microenvironment polarity detection, and pH detection. This review provides a detailed insight into the characteristics of coumarins as well as their biosynthesis in plants and metabolic pathways. Various synthetic strategies for coumarin core involving both conventional and green methods have been discussed comparing advantages and disadvantages of each method. Conventional methods discussed are Pechmann, Knoevenagel, Perkin, Wittig, Kostanecki, Buchwald-Hartwig, and metal-induced coupling reactions such as Heck and Suzuki, as well as green approaches involving microwave or ultrasound energy. Various pharmacological applications of coumarin derivatives are discussed in detail. The structural features and conditions responsible for influencing the fluorescence of coumarin core are also elaborated.

Benzopyrone, a privileged scaffold in drug discovery: An overview of FDA-approved drugs and clinical candidates

Natural products have always served as an important source of drugs for treating various diseases. Among various privileged natural product scaffolds, the benzopyrone class of compounds has a substantial presence among biologically active compounds. One of the pioneering anticoagulant drugs, warfarin approved in 1954 bears a benzo-α-pyrone (coumarin) nucleus. The widely investigated psoriasis drugs, methoxsalen, and trioxsalen, also contain a benzo-α-pyrone nucleus. Benzo-γ-pyrone (chromone) containing drugs, cromoglic acid, and pranlukast were approved as treatments for asthma in 1982 and 2007, respectively. Numerous other small molecules with a benzopyrone core are under clinical investigation. The present review discusses the discovery, absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion properties, and synthetic approaches for the Food and Drug Administration-approved and clinical-stage benzopyrone class of compounds. The role of the pyrone core in biological activity has also been discussed. The present review unravels the potential of benzopyrone core in medicinal chemistry and drug development.

Amine-containing yolk-shell structured magnetic organosilica nanocomposite as a highly efficient catalyst for the Knoevenagel reaction

The yolk-shell structured silica nanocomposites have been considered by many researchers due to their specific physical and chemical properties. These materials have been widely used in adsorption and catalysis processes. Especially, the void space of yolk-shell nanostructures can provide a unique environment for storage, compartmentation, and confinement in host-guest interactions. In this paper, for the first time, the preparation, characterization, and catalytic application of a novel amine-containing magnetic methylene-based periodic mesoporous organosilica with yolk-shell structure (YS-MPMO/pr-NH2) are developed. The magnetic periodic mesoporous organosilica nanocomposite was synthesized through surfactant-directed co-condensation of bis(triethoxysilyl)methane (BTEM) and tetraethoxysilane around Fe3O4 nanoparticles. After Soxhlet extraction, the surface of YS-MPMO nanocomposite was modified with 3-aminopropyl trimethoxysilane to deliver YS-MPMO-pr-NH2 nanocatalyst. This catalyst was characterized by using EDX, FT-IR, VSM, TGA, XRD, nitrogen-sorption, and SEM analyses. The catalytic activity of YS-MPMO/pr-NH2 was studied in the Knoevenagel reaction giving the corresponding products in a high yield and selectivity. The YS-MPMO/pr-NH2 nanocatalyst was recovered and reused at least four times without a significant decrease in efficiency and activity. A leaching test was performed to study the nature of the catalyst during reaction conditions Also, the catalytic performance of our designed nanocomposite was compared with some of the previous catalysts used in the Knoevenagel reaction.

Greener Syntheses of Coumarin Derivatives Using Magnetic Nanocatalysts: Recent Advances

Coumarins (2H-1-benzopyran-2-ones) are an important group of biological heterocyclic compounds present in various parts of many plant species, encompassing an array of biological and pharmaceutical activities. In view of the importance of coumarins in heterocyclic chemistry and biological sciences and recent advances in the design of magnetic nanocatalysts, we present herein recent developments pertaining to their synthesis exclusively using magnetic nanoparticles, which can be retrieved easily and thus conform to the tenets of greener synthesis. The preparation of various types of coumarins such as Pechmann-based coumarins, bis coumarins, pyranocoumarins, and coumarin derivatives bearing amine moiety, linked to nicotinonitriles, N-coumarin-2-furanone, and pyrrole-linked chromene derivatives using nanocatalysts with a Fe₃O₄ core are described. This review covers the synthetic developments in the recent years 2012-2021 and focuses entirely on the synthesis of coumarins in the presence of magnetic nanocatalysts using greener approaches such as solvent-free conditions or deploying alternative activation methods, namely microwave or ultrasound irradiation.

Sb Nanoparticles Embedded in the N-Doped Carbon Fibers as Binder-Free Anode for Flexible Li-Ion Batteries

Antimony (Sb) is considered a promising anode for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) because of its high theoretical specific capacity and safe Li-ion insertion potential; however, the LIBs suffer from dramatic volume variation. The volume expansion results in unstable electrode/electrolyte interphase and active material exfoliation during lithiation and delithiation processes. Designing flexible free-standing electrodes can effectively inhibit the exfoliation of the electrode materials from the current collector. However, the generally adopted methods for preparing flexible free-standing electrodes are complex and high cost. To address these issues, we report the synthesis of a unique Sb nanoparticle@N-doped porous carbon fiber structure as a free-standing electrode via an electrospinning method and surface passivation. Such a hierarchical structure possesses a robust framework with rich voids and a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) film, which can well accommodate the mechanical strain and avoid electrode cracks and pulverization during lithiation/delithiation processes. When evaluated as an anode for LIBs, the as-prepared nanoarchitectures exhibited a high initial reversible capacity (675 mAh g^-1) and good cyclability (480 mAh g^-1 after 300 cycles at a current density of 400 mA g^-1), along with a superior rate capability (420 mA h g^-1 at 1 A g^-1). This work could offer a simple, effective, and efficient approach to improve flexible and free-standing alloy-based anode materials for high performance Li-ion batteries.

Recent Developments in Nanocatalyzed Green Synthetic Protocols of Biologically Potent Diverse O-Heterocycles—A Review

The dynamic growth in green organic synthetic methodologies for diverse heterocyclic scaffolds has substantially contributed to the field of medicinal chemistry over the last few decades. The use of hybrid metal nanocatalysts (NCs) is one such benign strategy for ensuring the advancement of modern synthetic chemistry by adhering to the principles of green chemistry, which call for a sustainable catalytic system that converts reacting species into profitable chemicals at a faster rate and tends to reduce waste generation. The metal nanoparticles (NPs) enhance the exposed surface area of the catalytic active sites, thereby making it easier for reactants and metal NCs to have an effective interaction. Several review articles have been published on the preparation of metal NCs and their uses for various catalytic heterocyclic transformations. This review will summarize different metal NCs for the efficient green synthesis of various O-heterocycles. Furthermore, the review will provide a concise overview of the role of metal NCs in the synthesis of O-heterocycles and will be extremely useful to researchers working on developing novel green and simple synthetic pathways to various O-heterocyclic-derived molecules.

Sonophotocatalytic Dye Degradation Using rGO-BiVO4 Composites

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/bismuth vanadate BiVO₄ composites are fabricated with varied rGO amounts (0, 1, 2, and 3 wt%) through the synergetic effects of ultrasonication, photoinduced reduction, and hydrothermal methods, and the materials are tested as tools for sonophotocatalytic methylene blue (MB) dye degradation. The effect of rGO content on the sonophotocatalytic dye degradation capabilities of the composites are explored. Characterization of the proposed materials is done through transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy as well as scanning electron microscopy. The coexistence of BiVO₄ and rGO is confirmed using Raman spectroscopy and XRD. TEM confirms the existence of interfaces between rGO and BiVO₄ and XPS affirms the existence of varied elemental oxidation states. In order to investigate the charge carriers transportation, time-dependent photocurrent responses of BiVO₄ and 2 wt%- rGO/BiVO₄ are done under visible light irradiation. The sonophotocatalytic MB dye degradation in an aqueous medium displays promising enhancement with rGO doping in rGO/BiVO₄ composite. The 2 wt%- rGO/BiVO₄ sample exhibits ≈52% MB dye degradation efficiency as compared to pure BiVO4 (≈25%) in 180 min of the sonophotocatalysis experiment. Phytotoxicity analysis through germination index is done using vigna radiata seeds.

Ultrasound-Engineered fabrication of immobilized molybdenum complex on Cross-Linked poly (Ionic Liquid) as a new acidic catalyst for the regioselective synthesis of pharmaceutical polysubstituted spiro compounds

A novel supported molybdenum complex on cross-linked poly (1-Aminopropyl-3-vinylimidazolium bromide) entrapped cobalt oxide nanoparticles has been successfully fabricated through two different procedures, i.e. ultrasound (US) irradiations (100 W, 40 kHz) and reflux. The efficiency of the two different methods was comparatively investigated on the fundamental properties of proposed catalyst using diverse characterization techniques. Based on the obtained results, the ultrasonication method provides controlled polymerization process; as a result, well connected polymeric network is formed. In addition, the use of ultrasound waves turned out to be able to increase the particles uniformity, specific surface area (from 79.19 to 223.83 m2/g), and the onset thermal degradation temperature (Td) value (from 248 to 400 °C) of the prepared catalyst which intensifies the catalytic efficiency. Besides, US-treated catalyst demonstrated high chemical stability and maintained its cross-linked network after eight cycles recovery, while the cross-linked network of catalyst obtained under silent condition was completely disrupted. Furthermore, the ultrafast multi-step fabrication procedure was performed in less than 6 h under ultrasonic condition while a similar process promoted by a mechanical stirring method came to a conclusion after 5-6 days. Accordingly, the utility of the ultrasound irradiation was proved, and US-treated catalyst was applied for improved synthetic methodology of spiro 1,4-dihydropyridines and spiro pyranopyrazoles through different acidic active sites. Due to the significant synergistic influence between the proposed catalyst and US irradiation, a variety of novel and recognized mono-spiro compounds were fabricated at room temperature in high regioselectivity.

One-Pot Synthesis of Coumarin-Indomethacin Hybrids as COX-2 Targeting Probes for Cancer Imaging

Facile synthesis of 6- or 7-substituted coumarin-indomathacin hybrids (Coum-IDM) has been developed for specific cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) binding along with their intrinsic fluorescent properties. A mild and rapid condensation/dehydrative cyclization of 2-hydroxy benzaldehyde with activated indomethacin was carried out in one step under ultrasound irradiation. Coum-IDM₄ was found to be the best of this series as it presented significant binding to COX-2 and exhibited higher fluorescent intensity in cancer cells than in normal cells. Therefore, in the light of drug development tools, this new hybrid system could be a potential targeted probe for COX-2-overexpressed inflammation and cancer-cell tracking.

An Overview of Coumarin as a Versatile and Readily Accessible Scaffold with Broad-Ranging Biological Activities

Privileged structures have been widely used as an effective template for the research and discovery of high value chemicals. Coumarin is a simple scaffold widespread in Nature and it can be found in a considerable number of plants as well as in some fungi and bacteria. In the last years, these natural compounds have been gaining an increasing attention from the scientific community for their wide range of biological activities, mainly due to their ability to interact with diverse enzymes and receptors in living organisms. In addition, coumarin nucleus has proved to be easily synthetized and decorated, giving the possibility of designing new coumarin-based compounds and investigating their potential in the treatment of various diseases. The versatility of coumarin scaffold finds applications not only in medicinal chemistry but also in the agrochemical field as well as in the cosmetic and fragrances industry. This review is intended to be a critical overview on coumarins, comprehensive of natural sources, metabolites, biological evaluations and synthetic approaches.

New Dual-Functional and Reusable Bimetallic Y2ZnO4 Nanocatalyst for Organic Transformation under Microwave/Green Conditions

A novel bimetallic and reusable Y₂ZnO₄ nanocatalyst was synthesized by a simple coprecipitation method. The prepared nanocatalyst exhibited dual catalytic activity and was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The average crystallite and grain sizes were found to be 17 ± 1 and 10 ± 2 nm, respectively. On the one hand, the catalytic activity of the nanocatalyst was studied for the Knoevenagel condensation reaction of aromatic aldehydes with active methylene compounds, such as ethyl cyanoacetate and malononitrile, under microwave irradiation and solvent-free conditions. On the other hand, the nanoparticles also showed faster photocatalytic activity against methyl orange (MO) compared to other dyes. The nanocatalyst was easily recoverable by a simple filtration method and was recycled without any significant loss of catalytic activity. The advantages of this nanocatalyst were a simple workup procedure, high reaction yields, solvent-free conditions, reusability, and a short reaction time under green reaction conditions.

Recent Advances in the Synthesis of Coumarin Derivatives from Different Starting Materials

The study of coumarin dates back to 1820 when coumarin was first extracted from tonka bean by Vogel. Compounds containing coumarin backbone are a very important group of compounds due to their usage in pharmacy and medicine. Properties and biological activities of coumarin derivatives have a significant role in the development of new drugs. Therefore, many different methods and techniques are developed in order to synthesize coumarin derivatives. Coumarin derivatives could be obtained from different starting materials with various methods but with big differences in yield. This review summarized various methods, techniques and reaction conditions for synthesis of coumarins from different compounds such as aldehydes, phenols, ketones and carboxylic acids.

Ultrasound-Assisted Esterification of Valeric Acid to Alkyl Valerates Promoted by Biosilicified Lipases

A novel, environmentally friendly, and sustainable ultrasound-assisted methodology in the valorization of valeric acid to alkyl valerate using a biosilicified lipase from Candida antarctica is reported. This one-pot room temperature methodology of enzyme biosilicification leads to biosilicified lipases with improved activity and reaction efficiency as compared to free enzymes. Yields in the ultrasound-promoted esterification of valeric acid was ca. 90% in 2 h with 15% m/v of biosilicified lipase (Bio-lipase; 616 U/g _biocatalyst enzymatic activity) and a molar ratio 1:2 (valeric acid:ethanol), slightly superior to that observed by the free enzyme (75% conversion, 583U/g _biocatalyst enzymatic activity). The reuse of enzymes in these conditions was tested and the results show a relatively good reusability of these biosilicified enzymes under the investigated conditions, particularly preserving fairly stable specific activities (616 vs. 430 U/g _biocatalyst after four reuses).

Coumarin: A Natural, Privileged and Versatile Scaffold for Bioactive Compounds

Many naturally occurring substances, traditionally used in popular medicines around the world, contain the coumarin moiety. Coumarin represents a privileged scaffold for medicinal chemists, because of its peculiar physicochemical features, and the versatile and easy synthetic transformation into a large variety of functionalized coumarins. As a consequence, a huge number of coumarin derivatives have been designed, synthesized, and tested to address many pharmacological targets in a selective way, e.g., selective enzyme inhibitors, and more recently, a number of selected targets (multitarget ligands) involved in multifactorial diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. In this review an overview of the most recent synthetic pathways leading to mono- and polyfunctionalized coumarins will be presented, along with the main biological pathways of their biosynthesis and metabolic transformations. The many existing and recent reviews in the field prompted us to make some drastic selections, and therefore, the review is focused on monoamine oxidase, cholinesterase, and aromatase inhibitors, and on multitarget coumarins acting on selected targets of neurodegenerative diseases.