| Abstract: | Xanthenediones derivatives have attracted considerable interests in recent times because they constitute a structural unit in a number of natural products1 and have been used as versatile synthons due to the inherent reactivity of the inbuilt pyran ring2. The conventional syntheses of xanthenediones were acid or base catalyzed condensation of appropriate active methylene carbonyl compounds with aldehydes3. However, many of these procedures involved longer reaction times,low yields and side reactions of aldehydes. In recent years, room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) have been used as novel green reaction media4. Considering that InCl3 is an efficient Lewis acid catalyst used in promoting many organic reactions, especially in several condensation processes, we herein wish to report a very simple and green method for the preparation of poly-hydrogenated xanthenediones through InCl3·4H2O promoted cascade reaction of aldehydes and 5,5-dimethyl-l,3-cyclohexanedione in ionic liquid,1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bmim][BF4]). The preparative process presented here is operationally simple, environmentally benign and has the advantage of enhanced atom utilization. Furthermore, the solvent and the catalyst used can be recovered easily and reused efficiently. |
