Solvent‐Free Aerobic Chemoselective Oxidation of β‐Ionone catalyzed by N‐Hydroxyphthalimide/Co(acac)2

β‐Ionone was oxidized with O₂ under solvent‐free conditions catalyzed by an N‐hydroxyphthalimide/Co(acac)₂ system in mild conditions with high conversion and excellent selectivity to oxo‐β‐ionone or 5,6‐epoxy‐β‐ionone in different reaction conditions, respectively.     

Improved Protocol for Thorpe Reaction: Synthesis of 4‐Amino‐1‐arylpyrazole using Solid–Liquid Phase‐Transfer Conditions

Solid–liquid phase‐transfer conditions were employed for the first time in the Thorpe reaction to synthesize 4‐amino‐1‐aryl‐3,5‐substituted‐1H‐pyrazoles 3. Aryl amines were diazotized and coupled with various active methylene compounds such as cyano acetamide, cyanoacetophenone, malononitrile, and ethyl cyanoacetate, resulting into α‐arylhydrazononitriles 1. Cyclization of 1 using α‐bromo ketones or esters resulted in compounds 3.     

Synthesis of 1,4‐Diaryl‐piperazine‐2,5‐diones: New Behavior of N,N‐Dimethylformamide Dimethyl Acetal (DMFDMA)

Reactions of chloroacetamides (5) with N,N‐dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal gave 1,4‐diaryl‐piperazine‐2,5‐diones 11a–e in good yield, rather than 1,5‐diaryl‐3,7‐dimethoxy‐1H,5H‐[1,5]diazocine‐2,6‐diones (9a–e).     

Bromine Complexes of Polyvinylpyrrolidone Supports: A Mild Reagent for the Transformation of α‐Oxoketene Dithioacetals to β‐Oxothiolesters

When α‐oxoketene dithioacetals 1a–n were treated with the bromine complex of a copolymer of 1‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone and 4‐vinylpyridine, the corresponding thiolcarboxylates 2a–n were formed in excellent yields. The reaction also works with other 1‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone‐derived polymers as well as commercially available polyvinylpyrrolidone–bromine complexes. The method is suitable for preparing aliphatic, aromatic, and γ,δ‐unsaturated β‐oxothiolcarboxylates.     

Synthesis of β-Lactams from Acids and Imines Using Thiocarbonyldiimidazole

Thiocarbonyldiimidazole has been found to be an efficient acid activator for the synthesis of β-lactams by ketene-imine cycloaddition at room temperature. The experimental procedure is simple and results in excellent yields of the products. All products were characterized by spectral data and elemental analyses.     

An Efficient One‐Pot Four‐Component Synthesis of Functionalized Imidazo[1,2‐a]pyridines

An efficient one‐pot four‐component protocol for the synthesis of imidazo[1,2‐a]pyridines was developed by condensing ethane‐1,2‐diamine ( 2 ), 1,1‐bis(methylthio)‐2‐nitroethene ( 1 ), aldehydes 3 , and activated methylene compounds in EtOH under reflux conditions (Tables 1–3). The features of this procedure are operational simplicity, good yields of products, in situ preparation of heterocyclic ketene aminals (HKA), and catalyst‐free conditions.     

A New Taraxastane‐Type Triterpene from Vitex trifolia var. simplicifolia

3‐Oxotaraxer‐14‐en‐30‐al ( 1 ), a new taraxastane‐type triterpene, together with 14 known compounds, taraxerone ( 2 ), 3‐epiursolic acid ( 3 ), 2α,3β‐dihydroxyurs‐12‐en‐28‐oic acid ( 4 ), lupeol ( 5 ), betulinic acid ( 6 ), casticin ( 7 ), artemetin ( 8 ), luteolin ( 9 ), 4‐hydroxybenzoic acid ( 10 ), docosanoic acid ( 11 ), tetracosanoic acid ( 12 ), cerotic acid ( 13 ), β‐sitosterol ( 14 ), and β‐daucosterol ( 15 ), was isolated from the leaves and twigs of Vitex trifolia var. simplicifolia . Compounds 2 – 6 were found for the first time in this plant. Their structures were established by spectroscopic analysis, including 2D‐NMR techniques. Cytotoxic activities of compounds 3 , and 5 – 10 were tested on the three cancer cell lines, PANC‐1, K562, and BxPC‐3. Results revealed that 7 exhibited cytotoxicity against PANC‐1, K562, and BxPC‐3, with IC₅₀ values of 4.67, 0.72, and 4.01 μg/ml, respectively, whereas 8 was inactive against these cancer cell lines. The structure? activity relationship of compound 7 and 8 indicated that the 3′‐OH group in polymethoxyflavonoids is essential for antitumor activity.     

An Efficient One-Pot Synthesis of Nitriles from Carboxylic Acids Without Solvent Under Microwave Irradiation

Nitriles were prepared from alkyl and aryl carboxylic acids in dry media conditions, under microwave irradiation. Heating of the carboxylic acid, urea and amidosulfonic acid adsorbed on alumina support in a microwave oven affords nitriles in 20–93% yields.     

Synthesis of 2,2′‐Bi‐2H‐3,3′‐diaryl‐1,4‐benzothiazines from α,α‐Dibromoacetophenones and o‐Aminothiophenol

Some 2,2′‐bi‐2H‐3,3′‐diaryl‐1,4‐benzothiazines (5a–f) were synthesized from α,α‐dibromoacetophenones and o‐aminothiophenol.     

New Approach to 4‐ and 5‐Aminopyrazole Derivatives

3‐Oxo‐3‐(pyrrol‐2‐yl)‐propanenitrile 1 coupled with aromatic diazonium salts to yield the corresponding 2‐arylhydrazones 2a–c. The latter products reacted with chloroacetonitrile and ethyl chloroacetate to yield 4‐aminopyrazole derivatives 5a–f. Reaction of 2 with hydrazine hydrate led to formation of 5‐amino‐4‐arylazopyrazole 6a–c. Compound 1 reacted also with trichloroacetonitrile to yield enamine 7, which in turn reacted with hydrazine hydrate to yield 5‐amino‐3‐(pyrrol‐2‐yl)‐pyrazole‐4‐carbonitrile 8.