Microwave‐assisted Domino Cyclization for the Synthesis of Novel Spiro‐benzo[a]phenazine Annulated Heterocycles Catalyzed by a Basic Ionic Liquid

An efficient and green strategy for the improved synthesis of a biologically and pharmaceutically interesting multi‐functionalized diverse novel spiro‐benzo[a ]phenazine annulated heterocycles was developed with the assistance of microwave irradiation. A sequential one‐pot, two‐step domino reaction starting from 2‐hydroxynaphthalene‐1,4‐dione, benzene‐1,2‐diamines, a cyclic carbonyl compound, and 1,3‐indandione in the presence of a basic ionic liquid (1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hydroxide) as an expedient, ecofriendly and reusable catalyst afforded the corresponding novel spiro[benzo[a ]indeno[2′,1′:5,6]pyrano[2,3‐c ]phenazine] derivatives with high yield under solvent‐free conditions. This domino Knoevenagel–Michael annulation reaction provided five new bonds (two C–C, two CN, and one C–O) and two new rings through multiple operations in a single flask.     

One‐Pot Synthesis of 4‐(2,3‐Dihydro‐2‐hydroxy‐1,3‐dioxo‐1H‐inden‐2‐yl)‐Substituted 1‐Aryl‐1H‐pyrazole‐3‐carboxylates via a Tandem Three‐Component Reaction

The hitherto unreported, highly functionalized 1H‐pyrazole‐3‐carboxylates 3 have been synthesized in good yields via a one‐pot three‐component domino reaction of phenylhydrazines, dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates, and ninhydrin under mild conditions for the first time. No co‐catalyst or activator is required for this multicomponent reaction, and the reaction is, from an experimental point of view, simple to perform (Scheme 1). The structures of compounds 3 were corroborated spectroscopically (IR, ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR, and EI‐MS) and by elemental analyses. A plausible mechanism for this type of cyclization/addition reaction is proposed (Scheme 2).     

A Novel Route to 1‐Substituted 3‐(Dialkylamino)‐9‐oxo‐9H‐indeno[2,1‐c]pyridine‐4‐carbonitriles

Heptalenecarbaldehydes 1 / 1′ as well as aromatic aldehydes react with 3‐(dicyanomethylidene)‐indan‐1‐one in boiling EtOH and in the presence of secondary amines to yield 3‐(dialkylamino)‐1,2‐dihydro‐9‐oxo‐9H‐indeno[2,1‐c]pyridine‐4‐carbonitriles (Schemes 2 and 4, and Fig. 1). The 1,2‐dihydro forms can be dehydrogenated easily with KMnO₄ in acetone at 0° (Scheme 3) or chloranil (=2,3,5,6‐tetrachlorocyclohexa‐2,5‐diene‐1,4‐dione) in a ‘one‐pot’ reaction in dioxane at ambient temperature (Table 1). The structures of the indeno[2,1‐c]pyridine‐4‐carbonitriles 5′ and 6a have been verified by X‐ray crystal‐structure analyses (Fig. 2 and 4). The inherent merocyanine system of the dihydro forms results in a broad absorption band in the range of 515–530 nm in their UV/VIS spectra (Table 2 and Fig. 3). The dehydrogenated compounds 5, 5′ , and 7a – 7f exhibit their longest‐wavelength absorption maximum at ca. 380 nm (Table 2). In contrast to 5 and 5′, 7a – 7f in solution exhibit a blue‐green fluorescence with emission bands at around 460 and 480 nm (Table 4 and Fig. 5).     

Facile one‐pot synthesis of a series of 7‐aryl‐8H‐benzo[h]indeno[1,2‐b]quinoline‐8‐one derivatives catalyzed by cellulose‐based magnetic nanocomposite

A sulfonated magnetic cellulose‐based nanocomposite was applied as an efficient, inexpensive and green catalyst for the one‐pot three‐component synthesis of 7‐aryl‐8H ‐benzo[h ]indeno[1,2‐b ]quinoline‐8‐ones starting from 1,3‐indanedione, aromatic aldehydes and 1‐naphthylamine under solvent‐free conditions in high yields (79–98%) within short reaction times (2–5 min). The nanobiostructure catalyst can be easily separated from the reaction mixture by using an external magnet and reused several times.     

Nanomagnetically modified thioglycolic acid (γ‐Fe2O3@SiO2‐SCH2CO2H): Efficient and reusable green catalyst for the one‐pot domino synthesis of spiro[benzo[a]benzo[6,7]chromeno[2,3‐c]phenazine] and benzo[a]benzo[6,7]chromeno[2,3‐c]phenazines

Superparamagnetic nanoparticles of modified thioglycolic acid (γ‐Fe₂O₃@SiO₂‐SCH₂CO₂H) represent a new, efficient and green catalyst for the one‐pot synthesis of novel spiro[benzo[a ]benzo[6,7]chromeno[2,3‐c ]phenazine] derivatives via domino Knoevenagel–Michael–cyclization reaction of 2‐hydroxynaphthalene‐1,4‐dione, benzene‐1,2‐diamines, ninhydrin and isatin. This novel magnetic organocatalyst was easily isolated from the reaction mixture by magnetic decantation using an external magnet and reused at least six times without significant loss in its activity. The catalyst was fully characterized using various techniques. This procedure was also applied successfully for the synthesis of benzo[a ]benzo[6,7]chromeno[2,3‐c ]phenazines.     

On‐line high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with biochemical detection method for screening of α‐glucosidase inhibitors in green tea

An on‐line high‐performance liquid chromatography–biochemical detection (HPLC‐BCD) method, in which compounds separated by HPLC were on‐line reacted with enzyme and substrate solutions delivered by flow injection and the enzyme inhibition signal was collected by UV detection, was developed to rapidly screen α‐glucosidase inhibitors from green tea extracts in this study. The chromatographic fingerprints and enzyme inhibition profiles of the different brands of green tea could be simultaneously detected by the on‐line HPLC‐BCD method. Enzyme inhibition profiles were detected by the UV detector at 415 nm based on the reaction of α‐glucosidase and p‐nitrophenyl α‐d ‐glucopyranoside (PNPG). PNPG (1.25 mm ), α‐glucosidase (0.4 U/mL) and the flow rate 0.07 mL/min were applied as optimized parameters to detect α‐glucosidase inhibitors in green tea. Four components in green tea showed α‐glucosidase inhibition action and three of them were identified as HHDP‐galloyl glucose, (−)‐epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate and (−)‐epicatechin‐3‐gallate by HPLC–fourier‐transform mass spectrometry (HPLC‐FTMS). Two brands of green tea derived from Mengding and Enshi mountainous areas might be superior to the other samples in the prevention and treatment of diabetes owing to their stronger activities of enzyme inhibitors. The proposed on‐line HPLC‐BCD method could be used to rapidly identify the potential enzyme inhibitors in complex matrixes.     

An Efficient Synthesis of 3‐(1H‐Tetrazol‐5‐yl)coumarins (=3‐(1H‐Tetrazol‐5‐yl)‐2H‐1‐benzopyran‐2‐ones) via Domino Knoevenagel Condensation,Pinner Reaction,and 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition in Water

A novel straightforward synthesis of 3‐(1H‐tetrazol‐5‐yl)coumarins (=3‐(1H‐tetrazol‐5‐yl)‐2H‐1‐benzopyran‐2‐ones) 6 via domino Knoevenagel condensation, Pinner reaction, and 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of substituted salicylaldehydes (=2‐hydroxybenzaldehydes), malononitrile (propanedinitrile), and sodium azide in H₂O is reported (Scheme 1 and Table 2). This general protocol provides a wide variety of 3‐(1H‐tetrazol‐5‐yl)coumarins in good yields under mild reaction conditions.     

Green Biginelli‐type Reaction: Solvent‐free Synthesis of 5‐unsubstituted 3,4‐dihydropyrimdin‐2(1H)‐ones

The Biginelli‐type compounds, 5‐unsubstituted 3,4‐dihydropyrimdin‐2(1H)‐ones were synthesized by a one‐pot three‐component condensation of aromatic aldehydes, aromatic ketones and urea in the presence of SnCl₄ · 5H₂O under solvent‐free conditions. The advantages of this method are short reaction time (4–10 min), excellent yields (74–97%), inexpensive catalyst and solvent‐free conditions. A plausible mechanism was proposed.     

One‐Pot Synthesis of 7‐chloro‐2‐arylthieno[3,2‐b]pyridin‐3‐ols and Their Derivatization to the Corresponding Arylamino,Arylthio, and Aryloxy Derivatives

A simple and efficient domino reaction for synthesis of 7‐chloro‐2‐arylthieno[3,2‐b ]pyridin‐3‐ols ( 3 ) followed by derivatization into their corresponding aminoaryl ( 7a–7j ), aryloxy ( 9a–9c ), and thioaryloxy derivatives ( 8a–8k )is presented. The synthesis includes thioalkylation on 3‐position of methyl 4‐chloropicolinate ( 1 ) followed by in situ cyclization to give 7‐chloro‐2‐arylthieno[3,2‐b ]pyridin‐3‐ols ( 3 ). The substitution of the chloro group with amines, phenols and thiophenols afforded the corresponding derivatives.     

固相β-环糊精包结物诱导7-羟基-2-甲氧基-2-甲基色满的不对称合成

研究了室温下间苯二酚和甲基乙烯基酮分别与β-环糊精（ β-CD）形成包结物后的几种不同固相反应,结果表明包结物A（间苯二酚/β-CD）与包结物B（甲基乙烯基酮/β-CD）反应能够很好地得到目的产物,产率及ee值分别为82.8%和78.4%;间苯二酚与包结物B反应仅得到低光学活性产物（ee值为19.5%）;包结物A与甲基乙烯基酮反应却没有得到手性目的产物。以熔点、X-粉末衍射、固相核磁碳谱及ROESY多种方法对所形成的包结物进行了表征,包结物中主客体的比例（1：1）通过¹H NMR (400 MHz)得以确定,文章对固相环加成反应的机制也进行了初步探讨。     

A Novel trans‐1‐(9‐Anthryl)‐2‐phenylethene Derivative Containing a Phenanthroimidazole Unit for Application in Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes

Aryl‐substituted phenanthroimidazoles (PIs) have attracted tremendous attention in the field of organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs), because they are simple to synthesize and have excellent thermal properties, high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs), and bipolar properties. Herein, a novel blue–green emitting material, (E)‐2‐{4′‐[2‐(anthracen‐9‐yl)vinyl]‐[1,1′‐biphenyl]‐4‐yl}‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐phenanthro[9,10‐d]imidazole (APE‐PPI), containing a t‐APE [1‐(9‐anthryl)‐2‐phenylethene] core and a PI moiety was designed and synthesized. Owing to the PI skeleton, APE‐PPI possesses high thermal stability and a high PLQY, and the compound exhibits bipolar transporting characteristics, which were identified by single‐carrier devices. Nondoped blue–green OLEDs with APE‐PPI as the emitting layer show emission at λ=508 nm, a full width at half maximum of 82 nm, a maximum brightness of 9042 cd m^?2, a maximum current efficiency of 2.14 cd A^?1, and Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.26, 0.55). Furthermore, a white OLED (WOLED) was fabricated by employing APE‐PPI as the blue–green emitting layer and 4‐(dicyanomethylene)‐2‐tert‐butyl‐6‐(1,1,7,7‐tetramethyljulolidin‐4‐yl‐vinyl)‐4H‐pyran (DCJTB) doped in tris‐(8‐hydroxyquinolinato)aluminum (Alq₃) as the red–green emitting layer. This WOLED exhibited a maximum brightness of 10029 cd m^?2, a maximum current efficiency of 16.05 cd A^?1, CIE coordinates of (0.47, 0.47), and a color rendering index (CRI) of 85. The high performance of APE‐PPI‐based devices suggests that the t‐APE and PI combination can potentially be used to synthesize efficient electroluminescent materials for WOLEDs.     

A Novel Procedure to Synthesize 3‐Chloro‐1‐(4a,10b‐diazaphenanthrene‐2‐yl)‐4‐phenyl Azetidin‐2‐ones and Exploration of Their Anti‐Inflammatory Activity

Some new derivatives of 3‐chloro‐1‐(4a,10b‐diazaphenanthrene‐2‐yl)‐4‐phenyl azetidin‐2‐one were synthesized through the reaction of N‐{4‐[phenyldiazenyl] phenyl}‐N‐[phenyl methylene] amine with 4‐[phenyldiazenyl] aniline. The resulting 3‐chloro‐4‐phenyl‐1‐{4‐[phenyldiazenyl] phenyl} azetidin‐2‐one intermediate in benzene was irradiated in a Pyrex vessel with 350 nm UV light in a photochemical reactor to give the desired derivatives (4a–j) . Structures of the new compounds were verified on the basis of spectral and elemental methods of analyses. Nine of the prepared compounds were tested for their anti‐inflammatory effects; most of these compounds showed potent and significant results compared with indomethacin.     

Synthesis,photophysics, structure‐tunable photoluminescence,and electrochemical properties of soluble poly(p‐phenylenevinylene)‐based polymers with adjacent 1,3,4‐oxadiazoles in the backbone

Three new poly(p‐phenylenevinylene)‐based polymers containing two 1,3,4‐oxadiazole moieties in the main chain per repeat unit were synthesized by Heck coupling. A single, double, or triple bond was introduced between the oxadiazoles to provide a means for modifying the polymer properties. The polymers were readily soluble in common organic solvents and showed T_g values lower than 50 °C. The color of the emissive light in both the solid state and the solution could be tuned by a change in the nature of the bond between the oxadiazole rings. The polymers emitted ultraviolet‐green light in solution with a photoluminescence (PL) emission maximum at 345–483 nm and blue‐green light at 458–542 nm in thin films. The PL quantum yields in solution were 0.36–0.43. The electrochemical properties are affected by the nature of the bond between the oxadiazoles as well. In polymers with a single bond between the oxadiazoles, a lower ionization potential was observed than in polymers with a double or triple bond. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 3079–3090, 2005     

Random poly(fluorenylene‐vinylene)s containing 3,7‐Dibenzothiophene‐5,5‐dioxide units: Synthesis,photophysical, and electroluminescence properties

The synthesis of new random poly(arylene‐vinylene)s containing the electron withdrawing 3,7‐dibenzothiophene‐5,5‐dioxide unit was achieved by the Suzuki–Heck cascade polymerization reaction. The properties of poly[9,9‐bis(2‐ethylhexyl)‐2,7‐fluorenylene‐vinylene‐co‐3,7‐dibenzothiophene‐5,5‐dioxide‐vinylene] (50/50 mol/mol, P1 ) and poly[1,4‐bis(2‐ethylhexyloxy)‐2,5‐phenylene‐vinylene‐co‐3,7‐dibenzothiophene‐5,5‐dioxide‐vinylene] (50/50 mol/mol, P2 ) were compared with those of terpolymers obtained by combining the fluorene, dibenzothiophene, and 1,4‐bis(2‐ethylexyloxy)benzene in 20/40/40 ( P3 ), 50/25/25 ( P4 ), and 80/10/10 ( P5 ) molar ratios. The polymers were characterized by ¹H NMR and IR, whereas their thermal properties were investigated by TGA and DSC. Polymers P1–5 are blue–green emitters in solution (λ_em between 481 and 521 nm) whereas a profound red shift observed in the solid state is emission (λ_em from 578 to 608 nm) that can be attributed both to the charge transfer stabilization exerted by the polar medium and to intermolecular interactions occurring in the solid state. Cyclic voltammetry permitted the evaluation of the ionization potentials and also revealed a quasi‐reversible behavior in the reduction scans for the polymers ( P1–4 ) containing the higher amounts of 3,7‐dibenzothiophene‐5,5‐dioxide units. Electroluminescent devices with both ITO/PEDOT‐PSS/ P1–5 /Ca/Al (Type I) and ITO/PEDOT‐PSS/ P1–5 /Alq₃/Ca/Al (Type II) configuration were fabricated showing a yellow to yellow–green emission. In the case of P4 , a luminance of 1835 cd/m² and an efficiency of 0.25 cd/A at 14 V were obtained for the Type II devices. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 2093–2104, 2009     

Highly stable electrochromic polyamides based on N,N‐bis(4‐aminophenyl)‐N′,N′‐bis(4‐tert‐butylphenyl)‐1,4‐phenylenediamine

A new triphenylamine‐containing aromatic diamine monomer, N,N‐bis(4‐aminophenyl)‐N′,N′‐bis(4‐tert‐butylphenyl)‐1,4‐phenylenediamine, was synthesized by an established synthetic procedure from readily available reagents. A novel family of electroactive polyamides with di‐tert‐butyl‐substituted N,N,N′,N′‐tetraphenyl‐1,4‐phenylenediamine units were prepared via the phosphorylation polyamidation reactions of the newly synthesized diamine monomer with various aromatic or aliphatic dicarboxylic acids. All the polymers were amorphous with good solubility in many organic solvents, such as N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone (NMP) and N,N‐dimethylacetamide, and could be solution‐cast into tough and flexible polymer films. The polyamides derived from aromatic dicarboxylic acids had useful levels of thermal stability, with glass‐transition temperatures of 269–296 °C, 10% weight‐loss temperatures in excess of 544 °C, and char yields at 800 °C in nitrogen higher than 62%. The dilute solutions of these polyamides in NMP exhibited strong absorption bands centered at 316–342 nm and photoluminescence maxima around 362–465 nm in the violet‐blue region. The polyamides derived from aliphatic dicarboxylic acids were optically transparent in the visible region and fluoresced with a higher quantum yield compared with those derived from aromatic dicarboxylic acids. The hole‐transporting and electrochromic properties were examined by electrochemical and spectro‐electrochemical methods. Cyclic voltammograms of the polyamide films cast onto an indium‐tin oxide‐coated glass substrate exhibited two reversible oxidation redox couples at 0.57–0.60 V and 0.95–0.98 V versus Ag/AgCl in acetonitrile solution. The polyamide films revealed excellent elcterochemical and electrochromic stability, with a color change from a colorless or pale yellowish neutral form to green and blue oxidized forms at applied potentials ranging from 0.0 to 1.2 V. These anodically coloring polymeric materials showed interesting electrochromic properties, such as high coloration efficiency (CE = 216 cm²/C for the green coloring) and high contrast ratio of optical transmittance change (ΔT%) up to 64% at 424 nm and 59% at 983 nm for the green coloration, and 90% at 778 nm for the blue coloration. The electroactivity of the polymer remains intact even after cycling 500 times between its neutral and fully oxidized states. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 2330–2343, 2009     

Novel blue‐greenish electroluminescent poly(fluorenevinylene‐alt‐dibenzothiophenevinylene)s and their model compounds

Poly(9,9‐dihexylfluorene‐2,7‐vinylene‐alt‐dibenzothiophene‐2,8‐vinylene) (PS) and poly(9,9‐dihexylfluorene‐2,7‐vinylene‐alt‐dibenzothiophene‐5,5‐dioxide‐2,8‐ vinylene) (PSO) as well as corresponding model compounds were synthesized by Heck coupling. Both the polymers and model compounds were readily soluble in common organic solvents such as tetrahydrofuran, dichloromethane, chloroform, and toluene. The polymers showed a decomposition temperature at ～430 °C and a char yield of about 65% at 800 °C in N₂. The glass‐transition temperatures of the polymers were almost identical (75–77 °C) and higher than those of the model compounds (26–45 °C). All samples absorbed around 390 nm, and their optical band gaps were 2.69–2.85 eV. They behaved as blue‐greenish light emitting materials in both solutions and thin films, with photoluminescence emission maxima at 450–483 nm and photoluminescence quantum yields of 0.52–0.72 in solution. Organic light‐emitting diodes with an indium tin oxide/poly(ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonic acid)/polymer/Mg:Ag/Ag configuration with polymers PS and PSO as emitting layers showed green electroluminescence with maxima at 530 and 540 nm, respectively. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6790–6800, 2006     

Electroluminescent copolymers based on dihexylfluorene and 2‐{2,6‐bis[2‐(4‐diphenylaminophenyl)vinyl]pyran‐4‐ylidene}malononitrile units

A series of statistical copolymers (poly[(9,9‐di‐n‐hexylfluorene)‐co‐2‐{2,6‐bis‐[2‐(4‐diphenylaminophenyl)vinyl]pyran‐4‐ylidene}malononitrile) were synthesized by the Suzuki coupling reaction. The copolymers showed absorption bands at 379 and 483–489 nm, which were attributed to the oligofluorene segments and the segments containing 2‐[2,6‐bis(2‐{4‐[(4‐bromophenyl)phenylamino]phenyl}vinyl)pyran‐4‐ylidene]malononitrile ( 3 ), respectively. The absorption band around 483–489 nm increased with the feed ratio of 3 . The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the copolymers showed emission bands at 420 and 573–620 nm. As the feed ratio of 3 increased, the PL emission in the longer wavelength region redshifted, and the intensity increased as well. The electroluminescence (EL) spectrum of the copolymers showed a very weak emission at 420 nm. The PL and EL emission colors redshifted dramatically with the increase in the feed ratio of 3 . The highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital levels of the model compound (2‐{2,6‐bis[2‐(4‐diphenylaminophenyl)vinyl]pyran‐4‐ylidene}malononitrile) were determined to be ?5.34 and ?3.14 eV, respectively. It was concluded that energy transfer took place from the oligofluorene blocks to the segments containing 3 and that direct charge trapping occurred in the segments containing 3 during the EL operation. The Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) chromaticity coordinates of the copolymer (x = 0.63, y = 0.37) containing 10 mol % 3 were very close to those (x = 0.67, y = 0.33) for National Television System Committee (NTSC) red with a maximum photometric power efficiency of 0.27 cd/A. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3729–3737, 2006     

A “One Pot,” Environmentally Friendly,Multicomponent Synthesis of 2‐Amino‐5‐cyano‐4‐[(2‐aryl)‐1H‐indol‐3‐yl]‐6‐hydroxypyrimidines and Their Antimicrobial Activity

A series of multifunctional 2‐amino‐5‐cyano‐4‐[(2‐aryl)‐1H‐indol‐3‐yl]‐6‐hydroxypyrimidines ( 4a , 4b , 4c , 4d , 4e , 4f ) was synthesized by multicomponent reaction of 3‐formylindole ( 1 ), cyanoethylacetate ( 2 ), and guanidine hydrochloride ( 3 ) with NaOH by using green chemical techniques, viz. microwave irradiation and grindstone technology. The same reactants when refluxed in ethanol also gave titled compounds ( 4a , 4b , 4c , 4d , 4e , 4f ). Compared with conventional procedure, the reaction can be carried out under milder conditions, requiring a shorter reaction time and giving higher yields following the green chemistry methodology. All the synthesized compounds have been characterized on the basis of elemental analyses and spectral data (IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and mass). All synthesized compounds were also evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against nine pathogenic bacteria, antifungal activity against Rhizopus stolonifer, Aspergillus flavus, and Fusarium oxysporum and antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at different concentrations. Most of the compounds showed mild to moderate activity.     

Efficient Domino Approach to Polysubstituted 2‐Hydroxyindole‐3,4‐(2H,5H)‐diones

Concise and efficient domino [3 + 2] heterocyclization promoted by HCOOH has been established for unprecedented synthesis of 15 examples of 2‐hydroxyindole‐3,4‐(2H,5H)‐diones in good yields. The present methodology shows attractive properties such as mild reaction conditions, concise one‐pot operation, short reaction periods of 15–20 min, and easy purification. The resulting 2‐hydroxyindole‐3,4(2H,5H)‐diones are of importance for organic and medicinal research.     

A β‐Enaminone‐Initiated Multicomponent Domino Reaction for the Synthesis of Indoloquinolizines and Benzoquinolizines from Acyclic Precursors

The cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate (CAN)‐catalyzed sequential multicomponent reaction between tryptamine, α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes, and β‐dicarbonyl compounds affords highly substituted indolo[2,3‐a]quinolizines in a single synthetic operation. Two rings are generated through the creation of two C? C and two C? N bonds by a domino process comprising initial β‐enaminone formation, followed by individual Michael addition, 6‐exo‐trig cyclization, iminium formation, and Pictet–Spengler steps. Furthermore, the reaction is diastereoselective and affords exclusively compounds with a trans relationship between the H‐2 and H‐12b protons. The use of amines bearing a less nucleophilic side chain aromatic ring (5‐bromotryptamine, 3,4‐dimethoxyphenylethylamine) prevents the Pictet–Spengler final step and leads to N‐indolylethyl or N‐phenylethyl‐1,4‐dihydropyridines, which are cyclized to the corresponding indolo[2,3‐a]quinolizines or benzo[a]quinolizines in the presence of HCl in methanol/water. Treatment of the fused quinolizine derivatives with sodium triacetoxyborohydride led to the corresponding indolo[2,3‐a]quinolizidines or benzo[a]quinolizidines, possessing four stereogenic centers, as mixtures of two diastereomers.