Photoredox/Cobalt-Catalyzed Cascade Oxidative Synthesis of 2,5-Disubstituted 1,3,4-Oxadiazoles under Oxidant-Free Conditions

An efficient oxidant-free, photoredox-mediated cascade cyclization strategy for the synthesis of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles by using an organo acridinium photocatalyst and a cobaloxime catalyst has been developed. Various acylhydrazones have been transformed into the corresponding 1,3,4-oxadiazole products in up to 96% yield, and H2 is the only byproduct. Mechanistic experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculation studies indicate carbon-centered radicals rather than oxygen-centered radicals as π-radicals produced by the oxidation of photoexcited Mes-Acr+* along with deprotonation, which is responsible for this transformation. The practical utility of this method is highlighted by the one-pot gram-scale synthesis starting directly from commercially available aldehydes and acylhydrazides.

Electro-organic synthesis: an environmentally benign alternative for heterocycle synthesis

Heterocyclic compounds are considered to be one of the most established structural classes due to their extensive application in agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and organic materials. Over the past few years, the development of heterocyclic compounds has gone through a considerable renaissance from conventional traditional methodologies to non-conventional electro-organic synthesis. Replacing metal catalysts, strong oxidants and multi-step methodologies with metal and strong oxidant-free single-step protocols has revolutionized the field of sustainable organic synthesis. Electro-organic synthesis has evolved as a scalable and sustainable approach in different synthetic protocols in an environment-benign manner. The current review outlines the recent developments in C-C, C-N, C-S and C-O/Se bond formation for heterocycle synthesis using electrochemical methods. Different synthetic strategies and their detailed mechanistic description are presented to enlighten the future applications of electrochemistry in heterocycle synthesis.

Potential Synthetic Routes and Metal-Ion Sensing Applications of 1,3,4-Oxadiazoles: An Integrative Review

Oxadiazoles, especially 1,3,4-oxadiazole scaffolds, stand among the foremost heterocyclic fragments with a broad spectrum of applications in diverse fields, including pharmacology, polymers, material science, and organic electronics, among others. In this comprehensive review, we summarize the pivotal synthetic strategies for 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives including dehydrogenative cyclization of 1,2-diacylhydrazines, oxidative cyclization of acylhydrazones, condensation cyclization, C-H activation of oxadiazole ring, decarboxylative cyclization and oxidative annulation along with plausible mechanisms. The set of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles selected from the literature and discussed herein epitomize the ease of synthesis as well as the possibility of linking π-conjugated groups; thereby encouraging the use of these molecules as important starting building blocks for a wide variety of fluorescent frameworks, particularly in the development of potential chemosensors. High photoluminescent quantum yield, excellent thermal and chemical stability, and the presence of potential coordination (N and O donor atoms) sites make these molecules a prominent choice for metal-ions sensors. An overview of selective metal-ion sensing, the detection limit along with the sensing mechanisms (photo-induced electron transfer, excited-state intramolecular proton transfer, and complex formation) is also included.

Formal [4+1] cyclization of (thio/imido)hydrazides and ethyl 3,3,3-trifluoropropanoate: unified synthesis of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles, 1,3,4-thiadiazoles and 1,2,4-triazoles

We have developed a unified approach to 1,3,4-oxadiazoles, 1,3,4-thiadiazoles and 1,2,4-triazoles with ethyl acetate decoration by treating hydrazides, thiohydrazides and imidohydrazide with ethyl 3,3,3-trifluoropropanoate in the presence of a suitable base.