One-pot synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxaline derivatives via iron-promoted aryl nitro reduction and aerobic oxidation of alcohols

A direct entry to polycyclic quinoxaline derivatives via I2-DMSO mediated oxidative decarboxylation of α-amino acids and the subsequent Pictet-Spengler cyclization reaction

A facile and highly efficient iodine-promoted strategy has been delineated for the synthesis of indolo and pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxaline derivatives via an oxidative Pictet-Spengler type amino cyclo-annulation reaction using ∝-amino acids as aldehyde surrogates. The concomitant benzylic oxidation and the compatibility of different starting materials under standard conditions made the current method versatile. The salient features of the protocol such as readily available starting materials, inexpensive promoters, environmental benignity, broad substrate scope, scalability, and good to excellent yield make the method more attractive to practitioners of organic synthesis.

Tandem 6π-Azatriene Electrocyclization of Fused Amino-cyclopentenones: Synthesis of Functionalized Pyrrolo- and Indolo-quinoxalines

A tandem 6π-azacyclization approach for the synthesis of diversified pyrrolo/indolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines from amino-cyclopentenones has been developed. The reaction proceeds through a trifluoroacetic-acid-mediated 6π-electrocyclization and concomitant opening of the cyclopentenone ring. The advantageous features of the developed chemistry include transition-metal-free conditions, operational simplicity, and a broad substrate scope. Further X-ray crystallographic studies confirm the assigned structures of the fused heterocycles.

Mo-Catalyzed One-Pot Synthesis of N-Polyheterocycles from Nitroarenes and Glycols with Recycling of the Waste Reduction Byproduct. Substituent-Tuned Photophysical Properties

A catalytic domino reduction-imine formation-intramolecular cyclization-oxidation for the general synthesis of a wide variety of biologically relevant N-polyheterocycles, such as quinoxaline- and quinoline-fused derivatives, and phenanthridines, is reported. A simple, easily available, and environmentally friendly dioxomolybdenum(VI) complex has proven to be a highly efficient and versatile catalyst for transforming a broad range of starting nitroarenes involving several redox processes. Not only is this a sustainable, step-economical as well as air- and moisture-tolerant method, but also it is worth highlighting that the waste byproduct generated in the first step of the sequence is recycled and incorporated in the final target molecule, improving the overall synthetic efficiency. Moreover, selected indoloquinoxalines have been photophysically characterized in cyclohexane and toluene with exceptional fluorescence quantum yields above 0.7 for the alkyl derivatives.

Iron-catalyzed one-pot synthesis of quinoxalines: transfer hydrogenative condensation of 2-nitroanilines with vicinal diols

Here, we report iron-catalyzed one-pot synthesis of quinoxalines via transfer hydrogenative condensation of 2-nitroanilines with vicinal diols. The tricarbonyl (η4-cyclopentadienone) iron complex, which is well known as the Knölker complex, catalyzed the oxidation of alcohols and the reduction of nitroarenes, and the corresponding carbonyl and 1,2-diaminobenzene intermediates were generated in situ. Trimethylamine N-oxide was used to activate the iron complex. Various unsymmetrical and symmetrical vicinal diols were applied for transfer hydrogenation, resulting in quinoxaline derivatives in 49-98% yields. A plausible mechanism was proposed based on a series of control experiments. The major advantages of this protocol are that no external redox reagents or additional base is needed and that water is liberated as the sole byproduct.

Novel Synthetic Routes to Prepare Biologically Active Quinoxalines and Their Derivatives: A Synthetic Review for the Last Two Decades

Quinoxalines, a class of N-heterocyclic compounds, are important biological agents, and a significant amount of research activity has been directed towards this class. They have several prominent pharmacological effects like antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, and antimicrobial. Quinoxaline derivatives have diverse therapeutic uses and have become the crucial component in drugs used to treat cancerous cells, AIDS, plant viruses, schizophrenia, certifying them a great future in medicinal chemistry. Due to the current pandemic situation caused by SARS-COVID 19, it has become essential to synthesize drugs to combat deadly pathogens (bacteria, fungi, viruses) for now and near future. Since quinoxalines is an essential moiety to treat infectious diseases, numerous synthetic routes have been developed by researchers, with a prime focus on green chemistry and cost-effective methods. This review paper highlights the various synthetic routes to prepare quinoxaline and its derivatives, covering the literature for the last two decades. A total of 31 schemes have been explained using the green chemistry approach, cost-effective methods, and quinoxaline derivatives' therapeutic uses.

α-Hydroxy acid as an aldehyde surrogate: metal-free synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines, quinazolinones, and other N-heterocycles via decarboxylative oxidative annulation reaction

A metal-free and efficient procedure for the synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines, quinazolinones, and indolo[1,2-a]quinoxaline has been developed. The key features of our method include the in situ generation of aldehyde from α-hydroxy acid in the presence of TBHP (tert-butyl hydrogen peroxide), and further condensation with various amines, followed by intramolecular cyclization and subsequent oxidation to afford the corresponding quinoxalines, quinazolinones derivatives in moderate to high yields.

One-pot sequential coupling reactions as a new practical protocol for the synthesis of unsymmetrical 2,3-diethynyl quinoxalines and 4-ethynyl-substituted pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines

One palladium-catalyzed sequential coupling reactions were successfully used as a new protocol for the synthesis of unsymmetrical 2,3-diethynyl quinoxalines and 4-ethynyl-substituted pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines. The one-pot two coupling reactions of 2,3-dichloroquinoxaline, with two different terminal alkynes, under controlled conditions produced selectively unsymmetrical 2,3-diethynyl quinoxalines with high yields. When one of the two terminal alkynes was 3-propyne-1-ol, in the presence of secondary amines, cyclization occurred and 4-ethynyl-substituted pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines were successfully formed. All synthesized compounds were tested against the two bacterial strains including Micrococcus luteus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Copper-Catalyzed Synthesis of Alkyl-Substituted Pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines from 2-(1H-Pyrrol-1-yl)anilines and Alkylboronic Acids

A radical pathway for the construction of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines by using 2-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)anilines and alkylboronic acids has been developed. Features of this process include Cu catalysis, readily accessible starting materials, and simple operations. Alkylboronic acids are used for the construction of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxaline derivatives, and the desired products are obtained in moderate yields.

Tin(ii) chloride dihydrate/choline chloride deep eutectic solvent: redox properties in the fast synthesis of N-arylacetamides and indolo(pyrrolo)[1,2-a]quinoxalines

In this contribution a physicochemical, IR and Raman characterization for the tin(ii) chloride dihydrate/choline chloride eutectic mixture is reported. The redox properties of this solvent were also studied by cyclic voltammetry finding that it can be successfully used as an electrochemical solvent for electrosynthesis and electroanalytical processes and does not require negative potentials as verified by the reduction of nitrobenzene. The potential use of this eutectic mixture as a redox solvent was further explored in obtaining aromatic amines and N-arylacetamides starting from a wide variety of nitroaromatic compounds. In addition, a fast synthetic strategy for the construction of a series of indolo(pyrrolo)[1,2-a]quinoxalines was developed by reacting 1-(2-nitrophenyl)-1H-indole(pyrrole) with aldehydes. This simple protocol offers a straightforward method for the construction of the target quinoxalines in short reaction times and high yields where the key step involves a tandem one-pot reductive cyclization-oxidation.

Physicochemical and redox properties of SnCl₂·2H₂O/ChCl deep eutectic solvent were studied and applied in the synthesis of anilines, N-arylacetamides and indolo(pyrrolo)[1,2-a]quinoxalines starting from nitroaromatic compounds.

Terminal methyl as a one-carbon synthon: synthesis of quinoxaline derivatives via radical-type transformation

An iron-promoted method for the construction of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxaline derivatives has been developed. Various solvents with terminal methyl group, including ethers, amines and dimethyl sulfoxide, were utilized as carbon sources for the synthesis.

Novel total syntheses of oxoaporphine alkaloids enabled by mild Cu-catalyzed tandem oxidation/aromatization of 1-Bn-DHIQs

Novel total syntheses of oxoaporphine alkaloids such as liriodenine, dicentrinone, cassameridine, lysicamine, oxoglaucine and O-methylmoschatoline were developed. The key step of these total syntheses is Cu-catalyzed conversion of 1-benzyl-3,4-dihydro-isoquinolines (1-Bn-DHIQs) to 1-benzoyl-isoquinolines (1-Bz-IQs) via tandem oxidation/aromatization. This novel Cu-catalyzed conversion has been studied in detail, and was successfully used for constructing the 1-Bz-IQ core.

FeCl3-Catalyzed synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxaline derivatives from 1-(2-aminophenyl)pyrroles through annulation and cleavage of cyclic ethers

A straightforward Fe-catalyzed method for the synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines from 1-(2-aminophenyl)pyrroles and cyclic ethers, which includes functionalization of C(sp³)-H bonds and the construction of C-C and C-N bonds, has been developed. The features of this reaction are Fe catalysis, low-cost and readily accessible starting materials. Moreover, this procedure exhibits good functional group tolerance and a series of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxaline derivatives are obtained in moderate to good yields.

Application of α-amino acids for the transition-metal-free synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines

A practical and concise protocol for the efficient synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines from readily available α-amino acids and 2-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)anilines under transition metal-free conditions has been established. This protocol, which includes the formation of new C–C and C–N bonds, features a wide substrate scope with a broad range of functional group tolerance.

Synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines via copper or iron-catalyzed aerobic oxidative carboamination of sp3C–H bonds

We developed an aerobic oxidative carboamination of sp³C–H bonds with 2-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)anilines for synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines.

Efficient synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines catalyzed by a Brønsted acid through cleavage of C-C bonds

An efficient and convenient one-pot domino reaction for the direct synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines has been developed. This approach utilizes an imine formation reaction, SEAr reaction and cleavage of C-C bonds catalyzed by a Brønsted acid. β-Diketones and β-keto esters are both well tolerated to give the corresponding products in moderate to excellent yields.

Ambient temperature synthesis of β,β′-fused nickel(ii) pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazinoporphyrins via a DBSA-catalyzed Pictet–Spengler approach

Synthesis of novel β,β′-fused nickel(ii) pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazinoporphyrins is accomplished for the first time at ambient temperature via a DBSA-catalyzed Pictet–Spengler approach.

Targeting DNA with small molecules: a comparative study of a library of azonia aromatic chromophores

The fluorescence, DNA binding and DNA sequence selectivity properties of a library of azonia aromatic cations have been studied.