Recent advances in the application of indoles in multicomponent reactions

Recent drug design strategies and identification of key heterocyclic scaffolds for promising anticancer targets

Cancer, a noncommunicable disease, is the leading cause of mortality worldwide and is anticipated to rise by 75% in the next two decades, reaching approximately 25 million cases. Traditional cancer treatments, such as radiotherapy and surgery, have shown limited success in reducing cancer incidence. As a result, the focus of cancer chemotherapy has switched to the development of novel small molecule antitumor agents as an alternate strategy for combating and managing cancer rates. Heterocyclic compounds are such agents that bind to specific residues in target proteins, inhibiting their function and potentially providing cancer treatment. This review focuses on privileged heterocyclic pharmacophores with potent activity against carbonic anhydrases and kinases, which are important anticancer targets. Evaluation of ongoing pre-clinical and clinical research of heterocyclic compounds with potential therapeutic value against a variety of malignancies as well as the provision of a concise summary of the role of heterocyclic scaffolds in various chemotherapy protocols have also been discussed. The main objective of the article is to highlight key heterocyclic scaffolds involved in recent anticancer drug design that demands further attention from the drug development community to find more effective and safer targeted small-molecule anticancer agents.

Chiral Phosphoric Acid-Catalyzed Enantioselective Synthesis of Axially Chiral Compounds Involving Indole Derivatives

Indoles are one of the most ubiquitous subclass of N-heterocycles and are increasingly incorporated to design new axially chiral scaffolds. The rich profile of reactivity and N-H functionality allow chemical derivatization for enhanced medicinal, material and catalytic properties. Although asymmetric C-C coupling of two arenes gives the most direct access of axially chiral biaryl scaffolds, this chemistry has been the remit of metal catalysis and works efficiently on limited substrates. Our group has devoted special interest in devising novel organocatalytic arylation reactions to fabricate biaryl atropisomers. In this realm, indoles and derivatives have been reliably used as the arylation partners in combination with azoarenes, nitrosonapthalenes and quinone derivatives. Their efficient interaction with chiral phosphoric acid catalyst as well as the tunability of electronics and sterics have enabled excellent control of stereo-, chemo- and regioselectivity to furnish diverse scaffolds. In addition, indoles could act as nucleophiles in desymmetrization of 1,2,4-triazole-3,5-diones. This account provides a succinct illustration of these developments.

Consecutive four-component synthesis of trisubstituted 3-iodoindoles by an alkynylation-cyclization-iodination-alkylation sequence

A library of 19 differently substituted 3-iodoindoles is generated by a consecutive four-component reaction starting from ortho-haloanilines, terminal alkynes, N-iodosuccinimide, and alkyl halides in yields of 11-69%. Initiated by a copper-free alkynylation, followed by a base-catalyzed cyclizive indole formation, electrophilic iodination, and finally electrophilic trapping of the intermediary indole anion with alkyl halides provides a concise one-pot synthesis of 3-iodoindoles. The latter are valuable substrates for Suzuki arylations, which are exemplified with the syntheses of four derivatives, some of them are blue emitters in solution and in the solid state, in good yield.

[RhCp*Cl2]2-Catalyzed Indole Functionalization: Synthesis of Bioinspired Indole-Fused Polycycles

Polycyclic fused indoles are ubiquitous in natural products and pharmaceuticals due to their immense structural diversity and biological inference, making them suitable for charting broader chemical space. Indole-based polycycles continue to be fascinating as well as challenging targets for synthetic fabrication because of their characteristic structural frameworks possessing biologically intriguing compounds of both natural and synthetic origin. As a result, an assortment of new chemical processes and catalytic routes has been established to provide unified access to these skeletons in a very efficient and selective manner. Transition-metal-catalyzed processes, in particular from rhodium(III), are widely used in synthetic endeavors to increase molecular complexity efficiently. In recent years, this has resulted in significant progress in reaching molecular scaffolds with enormous biological activity based on core indole skeletons. Additionally, Rh(III)-catalyzed direct C-H functionalization and benzannulation protocols of indole moieties were one of the most alluring synthetic techniques to generate indole-fused polycyclic molecules efficiently. This review sheds light on recent developments toward synthesizing fused indoles by cascade annulation methods using Rh(III)-[RhCp*Cl2]2-catalyzed pathways, which align with the comprehensive and sophisticated developments in the field of Rh(III)-catalyzed indole functionalization. Here, we looked at a few intriguing cascade-based synthetic designs catalyzed by Rh(III) that produced elaborate frameworks inspired by indole bioactivity. The review also strongly emphasizes mechanistic insights for reaching 1-2, 2-3, and 3-4-fused indole systems, focusing on Rh(III)-catalyzed routes. With an emphasis on synthetic efficiency and product diversity, synthetic methods of chosen polycyclic carbocycles and heterocycles with at least three fused, bridged, or spiro cages are reviewed. The newly created synthesis concepts or toolkits for accessing diazepine, indol-ones, carbazoles, and benzo-indoles, as well as illustrative privileged synthetic techniques, are included in the featured collection.

Chemistry of 3-cyanoacetyl indoles: synthesis, reactions and applications: a recent update

Indole is a significant nitrogen-based heterocycle with particular importance in the synthesis of heterocyclic scaffolds. Indole based compounds have been recently attracting much attention due to their biological and pharmaceutical activities. 3-Substituted indoles such as cyanoacetyl indoles (CAIs) are nitrogen-heterocyclic compounds which are easily obtained from the reaction of indoles and cyanoacetic acid. They are versatile starting materials utilized for the construction of a wide variety of molecules containing indole moieties in organic synthesis. In this study, we provide an overview on the synthesis of 3-cyanoacetyl indoles (CAIs) and their recent applications in the multi-component reactions for the synthesis of various heterocyclic compounds such as pyranes, pyridines, dihydropyridines, pyrimidines, tetrahydropyrimidines, pyrazoles, pyrazolopyridines, pyrazolopyrimidines, pyridopyrimidines, tetrazolopyrimidines, triazolopyrimidines, furans, dihydrofurans, coumarins, pyrimido naphthyridines, chromenes, thiazoles, pyrimidoindazoles, pyrazoloquinolines, isoxazolopyridines, and carbazoles and their biological activities during the period of 2013 to 2022.

Synthesis of Cyclopenta[c]quinolines by Palladium-Catalyzed Cyclization of 3-Bromoindoles with Internal Alkynes via Spirocyclic Cyclopentadiene Intermediates

A novel method for the construction of a cyclopenta[c]quinoline ring via cyclization of 3-bromoindoles with internal alkynes in the presence of palladium is described. The formation of the cyclopenta[c]quinoline ring is proposed from a double [1,5] carbon sigmatropic rearrangement of the spirocyclic cyclopentadiene intermediate, which is generated in situ from the cyclization of 3-bromoindoles with internal alkynes involving a sequential double alkyne insertion into the carbon-palladium bond and dearomatization of indole. The present studies have developed a novel ring-expansion reaction of the pyrrole ring to pyridine via one carbon insertion into the C2-C3 bond of indoles and provided a simple and distinct route for the construction of tricyclic fused-quinoline derivatives that are not easy to access with conventional methods.

Evaluation of the anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-pyretic and anti-ulcerogenic potentials of synthetic indole derivatives

A large number of new synthetic compounds are synthesized in the field of heterocyclic chemistry having a variety of biological potentials. In the present study, some synthetic indole derivatives are used to check anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic and gastroprotective activity in albino mice. Albino mice of either sex of reproductive age were used for each study (n = 5). In anti-inflammatory activity, the negative control (NC) and positive control group animals were treated with normal saline and 10 mg/kg of indomethacin respectively. The treated groups received the twenty four different synthetic chemicals, after 30 min of sub cutaneous injection of carrageenan. In analgesic activity, hot-plate method is used and for each group the latency period was recorded at zero moment of the provision of required dose and after 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 min. In anti-pyretic activity, Pyrexia was induced by using Brewer's yeast method. Before any treatment and then after duration of 18 h, the rectal temperatures were recorded. Among all the chemicals, only those chemicals which show any potential related to above mentioned activities were selected for gastroprotective activity. The gastroprotective activity was performed to check the gastric ulcers by using 300 mg/kg of single oral dose of indomethacin to animals of all groups except NC group. This study helped to screen out the most potent indole derivatives 3a-II and 4a-II from the 24 synthetic indole derivatives which demonstrated the best biological potential (anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, and gastroprotection) as compared to the remaining ones. The micrometric and biochemical results also support the histological findings. Out of the twenty-four novel indole amines tested, 3a-II and 4a-II have shown the effective pharmacological capacity and additionally have not shown any overt and systemic toxicity. Thus these two indole amines need further in-depth pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics studies before they are recommended for any pre-clinical trial.

Spiroindeno-pyridineindoles (SIPIs) as new visible colorimetric pH indicators

Some new, highly selective, and sensitive colorimetric pH indicators, spiro[4H-indeno-[1,2-b]pyridine-4,3'-[3H]indoles] (SIPIs) in aqueous solution were developed. SIPIs were synthesized via a one-pot four-component condensation of isatin derivatives, β-diketones 1,3-indandione, and ammonium acetate using FSi-PrNH-BuSO₃H as a nanocatalyst in EtOH. According to the experimental evaluations, it was found that SIPI derivatives are pH indicators for naked-eye detection of OH- ion with intense color changes from orange to purple in the pH range of 10.3-12.

Isocyanide-Based Multicomponent Reactions in Water: Advanced Green Tools for the Synthesis of Heterocyclic Compounds

Reaction rate acceleration using green methods is an intriguing area of research for chemists. In this regard, water as a "green solvent" plays a crucial role in the acceleration of some organic transformations and reveals exclusive selectivity and reactivity in comparison with conventional organic solvents. In particular, multicomponent reactions (MCRs) as sustainable tools lead to the rapid generation of small-molecule libraries in water and aqueous media due to the prominent role of the hydrophobic effect. MCRs, as diversity-oriented synthesis (DOS) methods, have great efficiency with simple operations, atom, pot, and step economy synthesis, and mechanistic beauty. Among diverse classes of MCRs, isocyanide-based multicomponent reactions (I-MCRs), as sustainable and versatile reactions, have gained considerable attention in the synthesis of diverse heterocycle rings, especially in drug design because of the peculiar nature of isocyanide as a particular active reactant. I-MCRs that are performed in water are mild, environmentally friendly, and easily controlled, and have a reduced number of workup, purification, and extraction steps, which fit well with the advantages of "green" chemistry. Performing these powerful organic transformations in water and aqueous media is accompanied by acceleration owing to negative activation volumes, which originate from connecting several reactants together to generate a single product. It should be noted that the combination of MCR strategy and aqueous phase reaction is of growing interest for the development of sustainable synthetic techniques in organic conversions. However, an exclusive account focusing on the recent progress in eco-friendly I-MCRs for the construction of heterocycles in water and aqueous media is particularly lacking. This review highlights the progress of various kinds of I-MCRs in water and aqueous media as benign methods for the efficient construction of vital heterocyclic scaffolds, with a critical discussion of the subject in the period 2000-2021. We hope that this themed collection will be of interest and beneficial for organic and pharmaceutical chemists and will inspire more reaction development in this fascinating field.

Multicomponent Synthesis of Fluorescent Thiazole-Indole Hybrids and Thiazole-Based Novel Polymers

Herein, we report an efficient multicomponent reaction for the synthesis of trisubstituted thiazoles involving a one-pot C-C, C-N, and C-S bond-forming process from the readily available starting materials. The reaction of arylglyoxal, indole, and aryl thioamides in the acetic acid medium under sealed heating conditions provided 3-(2,4-diarylthiazol-5-yl)-1H-indoles (4) in good to excellent yields. Using a similar reaction strategy, the reaction of arylglyoxal, aryl thioamide, and 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone provided structurally interesting bis-thiazoles having dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone linker (9). All of the products were fully characterized by spectroscopic techniques. We also recorded single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) of compounds 4b and 9a for unambiguous structure determination. Indole-linked trisubstituted thiazoles (4) exhibit prominent fluorescence properties. The relative fluorescence quantum yields of all of the thiazole-linked indoles were measured in the dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) medium with respect to quinine sulfate in 0.1 M H₂SO₄ as reference. The scope of this reaction was further explored by preparing novel polymers 11a and 11b using naphthalene/benzene-1,4-bis(carbothioamide) in multicomponent polymerization.

Predicting protection capacities of pyrimidine-based corrosion inhibitors for mild steel/HCl interface using linear and nonlinear QSPR models

Pyrimidine compounds have proven to be effective and efficient additives capable of protecting mild steel in acidic media. This class of organic compounds often functions as adsorption-type inhibitors of corrosion by forming a protective layer on the metallic substrate. The present study reports a computational study of forty pyrimidine compounds that have been investigated as sustainable inhibitors of mild steel corrosion in molar HCl solution. Quantitative structure property relationship was conducted using linear (multiple linear regression) and nonlinear (artificial neural network) models. Standardization method was employed in variable selection yielding five top chemical descriptors utilized for model development along with the inhibitor concentration. Multiple linear regression model yielded a fair predictive model. Artificial neural network model developed using k-fold cross-validation method provided a comprehensive insight into the corrosion protection mechanism of studied pyrimidine-based corrosion inhibitors. Using a multilayer perceptron with Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm, the study obtained the optimal model having a MSE of 8.479, RMSE of 2.912, MAD of 1.791, and MAPE of 2.648. The optimal neural network model was further utilized to forecast the protection capacities of nine non-synthesized pyrimidine derivatives. The predicted inhibition efficiencies ranged from 89 to 98%, revealing the significance of the considered chemical descriptors, the predictive capacity of the developed model, and the potency of the theoretical inhibitors.

Synthesis, Molecular Docking and Biological Evaluation of N-Substituted Indole Derivatives as Potential Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Agents

Novel N-substituted Indole derivatives with various hetero-cyclic moieties were synthesized via an ethyl linker in order to obtain highly potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents. The structure of the obtained chemical compounds was determined using IR, ¹ H-NMR, and mass spectroscopy. Molecular docking was used to create selective and efficient COX-2 inhibitors from twelve novel indole derivatives (11a-c, 12a-c, 13a-c, and 14a-c). The compounds 13b and 14b had a high interaction energy, which inhibited the COX-2 enzyme. There is a relationship between anti-inflammatory activity and antioxidants, which is also defined by COX-2 inhibition, according to the mechanism of action. The Swiss ADME online programme was used to determine the drug-like properties of synthesized compounds. Two common and reliable methods were adopted to determine the antioxidant effect. In the DPPH assay, compounds 11a, 11b, and 14b, whereas compounds 11b, 13b, and 14b in the reducing power assay, were the most potent as compared with standard ascorbic acid. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect at an acute and chronic level, the carrageenan-induced paw edema method along with the formalin-induced inflammation method were used both at low dose and high dose. From the collected results, compounds 13b and 14b were the most potent against acute and chronic inflammation. The results showed that the synthesized compounds are unique as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents, and that they could be useful for drug discovery in the future.

Silver-Catalyzed Carbon Dioxide Fixation on Alkynylindoles

A silver-catalyzed carbon dioxide fixation reaction into 2-alkynylindole derivatives was developed to afford tricyclic indoles. Carbon dioxide was selectively fixed on the N atom of the indole, and only 6-endo-dig cyclization proceeded under mild reaction conditions. Carboxylation on C3 of the indole was not observed. This method was applicable for a variety of 2-alkynylindoles, and the corresponding products were obtained in high yields without the production of side products.

Multicomponent Assembly of Trisubstituted Imidazoles and Their Photochemical Cyclization into Fused Polyheterocyclic Scaffolds

A straightforward route to a large and diverse library of trisubstituted imidazoles was established via a three-component reaction of 2-oxoaldehydes, 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, and acyclic nitrogen bis-nucleophiles. The obtained products were subsequently explored in a photochemical cyclization yielding a variety of imidazole-fused polycyclic compounds.

Recent advances in the application of magnetic bio-polymers as catalysts in multicomponent reactions

Magnetic nanoparticles have attracted significant attention due to their high surface area and superparamagnetic properties. Bio-polymers composed of polysaccharides including alginate, cellulose, glucose, dextrin, chitosan, and starch can be immobilized on magnetic nanoparticles. Bio-polymers can be obtained from natural sources, such as plants, tunicates, algae, and bacteria. Bio-polymers obtained from natural sources have attracted attention due to their various properties including efficient functional groups, non-toxicity, low cost, availability, and biocompatibility. According to the targets of "green chemistry", the application of bio-polymers is effective in reducing pollution. Furthermore, they are excellent agents for the functionalization of magnetic nanoparticles to yield nanomagnetic bio-polymers, which can be applied as recoverable and eco-friendly catalysts in multicomponent reactions.

Application of Multi-component Reaction in the Synthesis of Heterocyclic [3.3.3] Propellane Derivatives

Abstract:

Propellanes and derivatives have attractive properties due to their unique structure. Therefore, [3.3.3] propellanes, containing tricyclic structures with one of the carbon-carbon bonds common in three rings, were used in natural products, pharmaceutical compounds, and heterocyclic compounds, which were biologically important. The various multi-component reactions were applied in the synthesis of propellanes, which were highlighted throughout this review

Recent Advances in the Transition Metal-Free Synthesis of Heterocycles from α, β-Unsaturated Ketones

Heterocyclic compounds are an inevitable part of our life. These important classes of molecules have a wide range of applications starting from life-sustaining drugs to agrochemicals. Numerous methods, including metal...

Waste-to-wealth transition: application of natural waste materials as sustainable catalysts in multicomponent reactions

Application of natural waste materials as sustainable catalysts in multicomponent reactions.

Water Mediated One-Pot, Stepwise Green Synthesis, Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Activities of (3-Amino-1-Phenyl-1H-Benzo[f]Chromen-2-yl) (1H-Indol-3-yl) Methanone Catalysed by L-Proline

AIM

The reactions were carried out by one pot three-component synthesis, 3-cyanoacetylindole (1) on reaction with aromatic aldehydes (2) and β-naphthol (3) in an aqueous medium in presence of L-proline as a catalyst under reflux for 30 min, resulted (3-amino-1-phenyl-1H-benzo[f]chromen-2-yl) (1H-indol-3-yl)methanone (4). The method has many advantages like short reaction times, good yields and simple workup procedure besides being green in nature. Pharmacological evaluation of title compounds was done for anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. Anti-inflammatory activity was carried carrageenan-induced paw edema model in which indomethacin was used as standard and analgesic activity was evaluated by eddy's hot plate method using diclofenac as standard drug.

BACKGROUND

Benzopyrans or chromenes are an important class of heterocyclic compounds due to their broad spectrum of biological activity and a wide range of applications in medicinal chemistry. The chromene moiety is found in various natural products with interesting biological properties. Chromenes constitute the basic backbone of various types of polyphenols and are widely found in alkaloids, tocopherols, flavonoids and anthocyanins. Indoles are omnipresent in various bioactive compounds like alkaloids, agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals.

OBJECTIVE

To synthesize one-pot stepwise Green synthesis, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of 3-amino-1-phenyl-1H-benzo[f]chromen-2-yl) (1H-indol-3-yl)methanones Methods: The acute anti-inflammatory effect was evaluated by carrageenan-induced mice paw edema (Ma Rachchh et al., 2011). Edema was induced by injecting carrageenan (1% w/v, 0.1 ml) in the right hind paw of mice. The test compounds 1-12, indomethacin (10 mg/kg) and the vehicle were administered orally one hour before injection of carrageenan. Paw volume was measured with digital plethysmometer at 0, 30, 60, 90, 120 min after injection. Percentage increase =A-B/ A *100 Results: Carrageenan Induced paw edema model was used for Anti-inflammatory activity in which animals treated with standard (indomethacin) and test compounds showed a significant decrease in the paw edema. Analgesic activity was estimated by using Eddy's hot plate method; animals were treated with standard (diclofenac) and test compounds showed a significant increase in the reaction time.

CONCLUSION

A green, One-pot, step-wise and three-component synthesis of 3-amino-1-phenyl-1H-benzo[f]chromen-2-yl) (1H-indol-3-yl) methanone was achieved by using water as a solvent, L-proline as catalyst under reflux conditions. The reactions were carried out in eco-friendly conditions with shorter reaction times, easier workup and high yields. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by carrageenan-induced paw edema model where significant anti-inflammatory activity is shown by all the test compounds (4a-l) when compared to standard drug. Analgesic activity was studied by Eddy's Hot plate method and Test compounds 4e, 4f, 4h, 4i, 4j, 4k, 4l showed significant activities when compared to the reference drug.

Bis-indolylation of aldehydes and ketones using silica-supported FeCl3: molecular docking studies of bisindoles by targeting SARS-CoV-2 main protease binding sites

We report herein an operationally simple, efficient and versatile procedure for the synthesis of bis-indolylmethanes via the reaction of indoles with aldehydes or ketones in the presence of silica-supported ferric chloride under grindstone conditions. The prepared supported catalyst was characterized by SEM and EDX spectroscopy. The present protocol has several advantages such as shorter reaction time, high yield, avoidance of using harmful organic solvents during the reaction and tolerance of a wide range of functional groups. Molecular docking studies targeted toward the binding site of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (3CL^pro or M^pro) enzymes were investigated with the synthesized bis-indoles. Our study revealed that some of the synthesized compounds have potentiality to inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 M^pro enzyme by interacting with key amino acid residues of the active sites via hydrophobic as well as hydrogen bonding interactions.

Silica supported FeCl₃ catalyzed simple protocol for the synthesis of bis-indolylmethanes was explored via grindstone chemistry. Synthesized compounds were screened virtually as inhibitor by targeting the binding site of SARS-CoV-2 main protease enzyme.

Enantiomeric Separation of Indole-3-Propanamide Derivatives by Using Supercritical Fluid Chromatography on a Polysaccharide-Based Chiral Stationary Phase

Thirteen pairs of I3P enantiomers were screened using nine polysaccharide chiral stationary phases and three different mobile phases. The purification strategy for 13 pairs of I3P enantiomers were designed and optimized considering enantiomeric purity and enrichment of isomers. Out of 13 I3P derivatives which were screened using supercritical fluid chromatography, 10 derivatives displayed excellent baseline separation using a Lux Cellulose-4 column and their resolution from higher to lower order of I3P-11, 13, 4, 12, 2, 1, 9, 3, 7 and 8 derivatives whereas in case of Lux Cellulose-2 column, the moderate separation was achieved as compared to Cellulose-4 in the order I3P-5, 6 and 10 derivatives. Excellent enantiomeric separations and retentions for all 13 I3P enantiomer derivatives were obtained in Cellulose-4 and Cellulose-2 columns in presences of methanol as organic modifier without any additives except in the case of I3P 12 enantiomer. The absolute stereochemical assignment of the purified isomers was determined through an optical rotation study. Among the series of I3P derivatives, I3P-5 showed potent antioxidant activity against catalase with an IC50 value of 13.78 μM. Further molecular docking, MM/GBSA and molecular dynamics studies revealed that the I3P-5 derivatives effectively bind to catalase with a docking score of -5.41 kcal/mol. Which validated chiral docking and indicated great potential for enantiomeric separation in drug discovery and present studies (R)-enantiomer preferentially depicts good binding capacity with catalase.

Computational Study of the Electron Spectra of Vapor-Phase Indole and Four Azaindoles

After geometry optimization, the electron spectra of indole and four azaindoles are calculated by density functional theory. Available experimental photoemission and excitation data for indole and 7-azaindole are used to compare with the theoretical values. The results for the other azaindoles are presented as predictions to help the interpretation of experimental spectra when they become available.

Catalyst- and Substituent-Controlled Regio- and Stereoselective Synthesis of Indolyl Acrylates by Lewis-Acid-Catalyzed Direct Functionalization of 3-Formylindoles with Diazo Esters

A facile and efficient In(OTf)₃- and BF₃·OEt₂-catalyzed direct transformation of 3-formylindoles with diazo esters has been developed for synthesizing diverse and functionalized indolyl acrylates. This one-pot protocol furnishes various (Z)-α-hydroxy-β-indolyl acrylates, (E)-β-(2-alkoxy-2-oxoethoxy)-α-indolyl acrylates, and (Z)-3-hydroxy-2-indolyl acrylates by a catalyst- and substituent-controlled, regio- and stereoselective cascade reaction. The protocol has several advantages, including low loading of the catalyst, mild reaction conditions, broad scope, and high functional group tolerance. The synthesized compounds can be further converted into diversely functionalized materials.

A straightforward, environmentally beneficial synthesis of spiro[diindeno[1,2-b:2',1'-e]pyridine-11,3'-indoline]-2',10,12-triones mediated by a nano-ordered reusable catalyst

A library of new spiro[diindeno[1,2-b:2',1'-e]pyridine-11,3'-indoline]-2',10,12-trione derivatives has been prepared in an efficient, one-pot pseudo four-component method mediated by a reusable heterogeneous nano-ordered mesoporous SO3H functionalized-silica (MCM-41-SO3H) catalyst. Excellent yields, short reaction times, as well as convenient non-chromatographic purification of the products and environmental benefits such as green and metal-free conditions constitute the main advantages of the developed synthetic methodology. The obtained fused indole-indenone dyes would be of interest to pharmaceutical and medicinal chemistry. Furthermore, due to their sensitivity to pH changes, they could be used as novel pH indicators.

N-doped graphene quantum dots modified with CuO (0D)/ZnO (1D) heterojunctions as a new nanocatalyst for the environmentally friendly one-pot synthesis of monospiro derivatives

A new approach for the sustainable fabrication of a CuO/ZnO@N-GQDs nanocomposite as a powerful nanocatalyst for multicomponent reactions is demonstrated.

Monitoring of methylglyoxal/indole interaction by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and qTOF/MS/MS analysis

Sugar derived reactive 1,2-dicarbonyl intermediates are considered important precursors for the formation of Maillard reaction products. Efficient strategies are needed to modulate their formation in food. Indole a major thermal degradation product of tryptophan, has been shown to scavenge such 1,2-dicarbonyls at high temperatures. In this study, the trapping of methylglyoxal by indole was monitored at various temperatures either by (a) ATR-FTIR spectroscopy or (b) in-solution using qTOF/MS/MS analysis. Information obtained through these studies have indicated that even at room temperature indole can quickly react with methylglyoxal forming an adduct as confirmed by the emergence of a new peak at 1729 cm-1 and by qTOF/MS/MS analysis. On the open surface of the ATR crystal this adduct underwent a fast oxidization into carboxylic acid as evidenced by the disappearance of the band at 1729 cm-1 and the formation of a new band at 1712 cm-1 and its subsequent conversion into a carboxylate band under basic conditions.

Spectroscopic characterization, DFT studies, molecular docking and cytotoxic evaluation of 4-nitro-indole-3-carboxaldehyde: A potent lung cancer agent

The 4-nitro-1H-indole-carboxaldehyde (NICA) molecule was characterized experimentally using FT-IR, FT-Raman and UV-Vis spectra, and it was studied theoretically using DFT calculations. The optimized structure of the NICA molecule was determined by DFT calculations using B3LYP functional with cc-pVTZ basis set. The electron localization function (ELF) and local orbital localizer (LOL) studies were performed to visualize the electron delocalization in the molecule. The experimental and theoretical wavenumbers of the title molecule were assigned using VEDA 4.0 program. The charge delocalization and stability of the title molecule were investigated using natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis. Frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) and related molecular properties were calculated. UV-Vis spectrum was calculated theoretically and validated experimentally. The reactive sites of the molecule were studied from the MEP surface and Fukui function analysis. The molecular docking analysis reveals that the NICA ligand shows better inhibitory activity against RAS, which causes lung cancer. The in vitro cytotoxic activity of the molecule against human lung cancer cell lines (A549) was determined by MTT assay. Thus, the NICA molecule can be used as a potential candidate for the development of the drug against lung cancer.

The Molecular Diversity Scope of Urazole in the Synthesis of Organic Compounds

BACKGROUND

As a matter of fact, nitrogen as a hetero atom among other atoms has had an important role in active biological compounds. Since heterocyclic molecules with nitrogen are highly demanded due to biological properties, 4-phenylurazole as a compound containing nitrogen might be important in the multicomponent reaction used in agrochemicals, and pharmaceuticals. Considering the case of fused derivatives "pyrazolourazoles" which are highly applicable because of their application for analgesic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic activities as HSP-72 induction inhibitors (I and III) and novel microtubule assembly inhibitors. It should be mentioned that spiro-pyrazole also has biological activities like cytotoxic, antimicrobial, anticonvulsant, antifungal, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and cardiotonic activities.

OBJECTIVE

Urazole has been used in many heterocyclic compounds which are valuable in organic syntheses. This review disclosed the advances in the use of urazole as the starting material in the synthesis of various biologically active molecules from 2006 to 2019.

CONCLUSION

Compounds of urazole (1,2,4-triazolidine-3,5-dione) are the most important molecules which are highly active from the biological perspective in the pharmaceuticals as well as polymers. In summary, many protocols for preparations of the urazole derivatives from various substrates in multi-component reactions have been reported from different aromatic and aliphatic groups which have had carbonyl groups in their structures. It is noted that several catalysts have been synthesized to afford applicable molecules with urazole scaffolds. In some papers, being environmentally friendly, short time reactions and high yields are highlighted in the protocols. There is a room to synthesize new catalysts and perform new reactions by manipulating urazole to produce biologically active compounds, even producing chiral urazole component as many groups of chiral urazole compounds are important from biological perspective.