A Microwave Accelerated Sustainable Approach for the Synthesis of 2-amino-4H-chromenes Catalysed by WEPPA: A Green Strategy

CSA@g-C3N4 as a novel, robust and efficient catalyst with excellent performance for the synthesis of 4H-chromenes derivatives

A pioneering robust and green heterogeneous acidic catalyst (CSA@g-C3N4) was rationally designed via immobilization of camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) on the g-C3N4 surface under mild conditions. Grafting CSA in the g-C3N4 lattice is distinguished as the root cause of facilitating the structure change of g-C3N4, leading to a unique morphology, accordingly the remarkable catalytic efficiency of CSA@g-C3N4. The morphology of new as-prepared nano-catalyst was specified by means of FT-IR, XRD, SEM, EDS, TEM, TGA, and BET. For the first time, it is exhibited that the efficient catalyst CSA@g-C3N4 can productively accomplish the three-component reactions with high yields and also serve as an inspiration for easily performing various sorts of MCRs based on our finding. The recommended synthesis pathway of chromenes derivatives is facile and cost-effective which applies a condensation reaction of salicylaldehyde, thiophenol, and malononitrile followed by ready purification in a benign manner. Moreover, the CSA@g-C3N4 nanocomposite can be promptly reused, illustrating no sensational decrease in the catalytic activity after ten times.

Synthesis of bioactive scaffolds catalyzed by agro-waste-based solvent medium

The backbone of synthetic organic chemistry is the formation of carbon–carbon and carbon–heteroatom bonds. Scientists are actively working to develop new methods of bond-forming reactions because it is one of the most useful tools for the development of structurally diverse molecular entities. On the other hand, scientists are constantly discovering chemical processes to make them more sustainable in order to avoid the ever-increasing chemical emission associated with hazards to the environment. Thus, the development of greener catalytic reactions demonstrated a massive uptick in the ability to carry out carbon–carbon and carbon–heteroatom bond-forming reactions under environmentally friendly and simple reaction conditions. Various approaches are demonstrated, namely, solvent-free, microwave irradiation, ionic liquids, ball milling, ultrasound, one-pot, and aqueous-mediated methods under green chemistry protocol. Agro-waste is the postharvest part or agricultural residues derived from various agricultural activities, which has diverse scope and applications. The use of this agro-waste is an eco-friendly and cost-effective process of waste management. Appropriate and optimal utilization of these waste by-products is one of the major challenges in the present days. The recent trend around the globe is to transform waste into wealth concepts to achieve various applications. Agro-waste-derived ashes and extracted medium are successfully studied recently as a heterogeneous- or homogenous-based catalyst in various organic transformations. Agro-waste-derived catalysts are easily available, cost-effective, simple to prepare, nontoxic, easy to handle, biodegradable, and more environmentally benign. This article focuses more on a few instances of agro-waste-based homogeneous and heterogeneous organic synthesis, especially those used in the construction of bioactive molecule synthesis via C–C and C–X bond formation reactions are discussed. The compiled literature in this article is based on keywords used in the search engine on “agro-waste-based catalyst for organic transformations”, and review articles published on this topic, future scope, and summary are discussed.

Water extract of red mud: an efficient and renewable medium for environmentally benign synthesis of 2-amino-4H-chromenes

In this study, an efficient and convenient domino Michael addition/intramolecular cyclization protocol is presented for the synthesis of biologically relevant 2-amino-4H-chromenes in short reaction times using water extract of red mud (WERM) at room temperature. Red mud is generated abundantly as wastes in aluminum industries and this is the first report to utilize WERM as an effective and renewable medium in organic synthesis. As the precursor material is a waste, the present method is environmentally benign and economical. The final 2-amino-4H-chromenes were obtained in high yields by simple precipitation and subsequent washing by aqueous ethanol which eliminates the chromatographic separation. The present method is tolerated by electronically diverse functional groups and also applicable for large-scale synthesis. Moreover, WERM was recovered from the reaction medium and reused for several cycles without significant loss of reactivity.

Agro-waste sourced catalyst as an eco-friendly and sustainable approach for Knoevenagel condensation reaction

Background:

The present work describes an eco-friendly and sustainable approach for the Knoevenagel condensation of an aromatic aldehyde with ethyl cyanoacetate, and salicylaldehyde with Meldrum acid for the synthesis of ethyl benzylidenecyanoacetate and 3-carboxy coumarin (2-oxo-2H-1-benzopyran) derivatives, respectively. The reaction performed under greener catalytic media Water Extract of Watermelon Fruit Peel Ash (WEWFPA) is an eco-friendly protocol derived from the agro-waste feedstock. Various protocols have been reported for the synthesis of Knoevenagel condensation reaction using a hazardous catalyst or/and solvent found toxic to the environment, reaction time longer, poor yield, and required purification of the final product. The present method provides several added advantages of being completely greener, economic, giving high yield, inexpensive catalyst, and the final product isolated in pure form with good yield.

Objective:

The objective of the study was to develop a green methodology for the synthesis of ethyl benzylidenecyanoacetate and 3-carboxy coumarin derivatives.

Results:

The agro-waste based catalyst developed avoids the use of external inorganic/organic base, additives, and solvent-free synthesis of Knoevenagel condensation of ethyl benzylidenecyanoacetate and 3-carboxy coumarin derivatives under rt and microwave irradiation, respectively described. The microwave irradiation condition requires less time for the completion of the reaction and also gave better yield isolation

Methods:

We have demonstrated WEWFPA as a greener homogenous agro-waste is employed under rt stirring and microwave irradiation for the economic synthesis of ethyl benzylidenecyanoacetate and 3-carboxy coumarin derivatives. The developed method was found robust, non-hazardous and solvent-free with simple work-up gave target product.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, we have established an efficient, simple, agro-waste based catalytic approach for the synthesis of ethylbenzylidenecyanoacetate and 3-carboxy coumarin derivatives employing WEWFPA as an efficient catalyst under rt stirring and microwave synthesis, respectively. The method is a greener, economical and eco-friendly approach for the synthesis of Knoevenagel condensation products. The advantages of the present approach are solvent-free, no external metal, chemical base free, short reaction time and isolated product in good to excellent yields. The catalyst is agro-waste derived, which has abundant in natural sources, thus making the present approach a greener one.

Ultrasound-Promoted Sustainable Synthesis and Antimicrobial Evaluation of 2-Aryl Benzimidazoles Catalyzed by BPAE at Room Temperature

Background:

Present-day chemists are more interested in developing and using green chemistry protocol for various organic transformations, which employ natural feedstock extracts, and solvent-free, and greener catalysts; they are well known for their non-hazardous nature and have replaced many organic and inorganic based catalysts. In literature, the reported homogenous catalytic approaches have been employed for various bioactive heterocycle syntheses, which follow the green chemistry principle established for various organic transformations catalyzed by WERSA, BFE, WEPPA, WEMFSA, WEMPA, and Eichhorniacrassipes. Among them, 2-aryl benzimidazole derivatives have emerged as prominent molecules with a wide variety of applications in biological and material science.

Methods:

The agro-waste sourced from the banana peel is utilized for the preparation of BPAE catalyst, which is employed for the synthesis of 2-aryl benzimidazole derivatives under ultrasound waves at room temperature.

Results:

Here, 2-Aryl benzimidazoles synthesized through the reaction of a substituted o-phenylene diamine with substituted benzoyl chloride catalyzed by BPAE under ultrasound waves at room temperature are described. Furthermore, catalyst BPAE is characterized by flame emission spectrometry, SEM-EDX, and XRD techniques.

Conclusion:

The present work established an eco-friendly, sustainable and novel approach for the synthesis of 2-aryl benzimidazoles using natural feedstock BPAE. The major merits of BPAE include its use as an agro-waste-derived catalyst. It is also highly abundant, inexpensive, yields faster reactions, has a simple workup, and does not require the use of column chromatography.

WELPSA: A natural catalyst of alkali and alkaline earth metals for the facile synthesis of tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyrans and pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidinones as inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2

Since 2019, the infection of SARS‐CoV‐2 has been spreading worldwide and caused potentially lethal health problems. In view of this, the present study explores the most commodious and environmentally benign synthetic protocol for the synthesis of tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyran and pyrano[2,3‐d]pyrimidinones as SARS‐CoV‐2 inhibitors via three‐component cycloaddition of aromatic aldehyde, malononitrile, and dimedone/barbituric acid in water. Lemon peel from juice factory waste, namely, lemon (Citrus limon), sweet lemon (C. limetta), and Kaffir lime or Citron (C. hystrix), effectually utilized to obtain WELPSA, WESLPSA, and WEKLPSA, respectively, for the synthesis of title compounds. The catalyst was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy‐dispersive x‐ray spectroscopy (EDX). The concentration of sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium in the catalyst (WELPSA) was determined using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The current approach manifests numerous notable advantages that include ease of preparation, handling and benignity of the catalyst, low cost, green reaction conditions, facile workup, excellent yields (93%–97%) with extreme purity, and recyclability of the catalyst. Compounds were docked on the crystal structure of SARS‐CoV‐2 (PDB: 6M3M). The consensus score obtained in the range 2.47–4.63 suggests that docking study was optimistic indicating the summary of all forces of interaction between ligands and the protein.