http://www.chemistrymag.org/cji/2006/08b069ne.htm 

Nov. 1, 2006  Vol.8 No11 P.69 Copyrightcij17logo.gif (917 bytes)


Solvent-free synthesis of 4H-benzo[b]pyran derivatives catalyzed by NaOAc and PEG400

Cao Yuqing, Li YaBin, Wu Guoqiang
(College of Pharmacy, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China)

Received Sep. 24, 2006.

Abstract 4H-benzo[b] pyran derivatives were synthesized by one-pot, three-component reaction of aromatic aldehyde, active methylene compounds, and 1,3- cyclohexanedione in good yields using sodium acetate and PEG400 as catalyst under solvent-free conditions.
Keywords 4H-benzo[b] pyran, 1,3-cyclohexanedione, PEG400, solvent-free reaction

1.  INTRODUCTION
4H-benzopyran derivatives have attracted great attention recently in synthetic organic chemistry due to their wide range of biological activity and pharmacological property, such as anti-coagulant, anti-cancer, spasmolytic, diuretic, and anti-ancaphylactin [1]. Literatures reported syntheses of such compounds in organic solvent or ionic liquid [2,3]. These methods have some shortcomings in terms of poor yields, environmental pollution and expensive solvent, not easy work-up. Therefore, the improvements in such synthesis had been sought continuously [4-7]. It also has been reported that these compounds were synthesized by microwave irradiation [8]. Although microwave irradiation in organic reactions is applicable in the laboratory, and it cannot be widely applied in industry.
    The demand for increasing clean and efficient chemical synthesis is continuously becoming more urgent from both an economic and an environmental standpoint. Organic synthesis in the absence of solvent has been received much attention because of several advantages in preparative procedures, such as environmental compatibility, easy work-up, enhanced selectivity, reduction of by-products, and much improved reaction rates [9-11]. These would be especially important during industrial production.
   
Polyethylene glycols (PEGs) can be regarded as the acyclic ether and have been used as PTC in many organic reactions owing to their stability, low cost, poisonlessness, and easy availability [12,13]. PEG400 was more suitable for solid-liquid phase solvent-free reactions. Our laboratory has reported
the application of PEG400 as phase transfer catalyst in organic reactions [14], herein we report a safe, facile and one-pot synthesis of 5-oxo-5, 6, 7, 8-tetrahydro-4H-benzo [b] pyran derivatives by three-component reaction catalyzed by sodium acetate and PEG400 under solvent-free conditions shown as Scheme.1. The results are summarized in Table 1.

Scheme 1

2.  RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
In order to determine the optimum reaction conditions for the synthesis of 4H-benzopyran derivatives in fast and more efficient way, we have studied the efficiency of different bases. Using NaOAc, NaOH, KF, MgO and CaO as catalyst for the reaction of p-nitrobenzaldehyde with 1, 3-cyclohexanedione and malononitrile, the yields of 88%, 74%, 57%, 51%, and 55% respectively, were obtained under the same reaction conditions. The better yields were obtained when sodium acetate
was used as catalyst. Low yield was obtained and long reaction time is needed using KF or MgO as catalyst. In comparison with the case without the participation of NaOAc, the reaction rate was greatly enhanced with the introduction of NaOAc. We have also studied a variety of reaction conditions with p-nitrobenzaldehyde using NaOAc as the catalyst. After some experimentation, a set of conditions has been found that generally provides 4H-benzopyran derivatives in good yields. The influence of the amount of the catalyst on the yield was studied and the amount of PEG400 was important to the reaction. An amount of 3-5% mol PEG400 and 10% mol NaOAc is appropriate for the reaction. The reactions using different quantities of reagents were investigated. The best results were obtained with a 1:1.1:1.1 ratio of aldehyde, malononitrile, and 1, 3-cyclohexanedione or 5, 5-dimethyl-1, 3-cyclohexanedione.

Table 1. Preparation of 4H-benzopyran derivatives under solvent-free conditions.

Entry

Ar

R

R'

Time
(h)

Yield
(%)

M.p

M.p (Lit)

4a

4-ClC6H4

CN

H

3 a

87

224-227

226-229[5]

4b

2-ClC6H4

CN

H

3 a

92

212-214

213-215[5]

4c

4-CH3OC6H4

CN

H

6 a

83

194-196

193-195[5]

4d

4-NO2C6H4

CN

H

2.5 a

88

230-233

234-235[5]

4e

3-NO2C6H4

CN

H

3 a

89

197-199

198-200[5]

4f

2,4-Cl2C6H3

CN

H

3 a

90

223-224

225-227[5]

4g

3,4-OCH2OC6H3

CN

H

4.5 a

85

211-213

211-214[5]

4h

C6H5

CO2Et

CH3

2 b

88

161-163

158-160[2

4i

4-ClC6H4

CO2Et

CH3

2 b

82

149-150

150-152[2]

4j

2-ClC6H4

CO2Et

CH3

2.5 a

85

180-182

181-183[2]

4k

3-NO2C6H4

CO2Et

CH3

2.5 a

85

179-181

180-182[8

4l

3,4-(CH3O)2C6H3

CO2Et

CH3

3 b

75

153-156

155-157[8]

4m

4-FC6H4

CO2Et

CH3

2 b

87

153-154

152-155[3]

4n

3-BrC6H4

CO2Et

CH3

2 b

82

133-134

133-135[3]

4o

4-BrC6H3

CO2Et

CH3

3 b

85

158-160

160-162[8]

4p

4-CH3C6H4

CO2Et

CH3

2.5 b

80

153-156

156-157[2]

4q

C6H5

CO2Me

CH3

2.5 b

83

145-146

146-148[2]

4r

4-ClC6H4

CO2Me

CH3

2 b

85

164-166

167-168[2]

4s

4-CH3C6H4

CO2Me

CH3

3 b

70

169-172

172-174[2]

4t

3,4-(CH3O)2C6H3

CN

CH3

3 a

80

173-174

170-173[2]

4u

4-NO2C6H4

CN

CH3

2 b

89

127-130

130-132[2]

4v

4-FC6H4

CN

CH3

2 a

93

182-184

184-186[3]

aThe reactions temperature were 160oC
bThe reactions temperature were 130oC
cIsolated and unoptimized yields

    From the data in the Table 1, the reaction of aromatic aldehydes with active methylene compounds and 1,3-cyclohexanedione under solvent-free conditions provided the corresponding 4H-benzo[b] pyran derivatives in satisfactory yields. It has been found that the reaction of aldehydes with electron withdrawing groups such as -Cl and -NO2 in the aromatic ring, with active methylene compounds and 1,3-cyclohexanedione can be carried out in relatively shorter time and high yield than with electron donating group such as -OCH3. The yield of 4H-benzopyran bearing chloro group at para position on the aryl ring is lower than that of the 4H-benzopyran bearing chloro group at ortho position on the aryl ring. The reaction rate would slow down along with increasing amount of the high melting point of products, so a high reaction temperature was needed. However, high temperature will result in low yield especially for the ester bond due to the oxidation and hydrolysis of some reactant and product by water generating in reaction. Higher reaction temperature is necessary for the reactions of the products with the high melting point in order to assue the reaction mixture in liquid state.
    We consider the reaction to proceed via aldol condensation, addition, enolisation, cyclodehydration and tautomerisation (Scheme 2.). Firstly, compound (5) was obtained by aromatic aldehyde reaction with active methyl compounds via Knoevenagel reaction. Secondly, Compound (5) reacted with the electrophilic C=C double bond giving the intermediate (6). Then the intermediate (6) was cyclized by the nucleophilic attack of OH group on the cyano (CN) moiety and gave the intermediate (7). Finally the expected products (4) were obtained by isomerization (7
84).

    In summary, we have developed a safe, environment-compatible and easy work-up method for the synthesis of benzopyran derivatives from substituted aromatic aldehydes, active methylene compounds and 1, 3-cyclohexanedione or 5, 5-dimethyl-1, 3-cyclohexanedione in the presence of PEG400 and sodium acetate under solvent-free conditions.

3. EXPERIMENTAL
TLC was GF254 thin layer chromatography with petroleum ether/ethyl acetate as eluent. Aromatic aldehydes, active methylene compounds and 1,3-cyclohexanedione were obtained from commercial suppliers and not purified. Melting points were determined on a microscopy apparatus and are uncorrected.
General Procedure for the Synthesis of 4H-benzo[b]pyrans (4)
A mixture of aromatic aldehyde 1 (0.1mol), active methylene compounds 2 (0.11mol), 1,3-cyclohexanedione 3 (0.11mol), NaOAc (0.01mol), and PEG400 (0.005mol) were taken into a 50ml three-necked, round-bottomed flask equipped with drying tube filled with KOH. The mixture was vigorously stirred and heated at the assigned temperature for a period of time as required to complete the reaction (monitored by TLC). Then the hot mixture was poured into a breaker and cooled to room temperature and washed with water. The solid was obtained by filtration. The crude products were purified by recrystallization from ethanol (95%).

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无溶剂下PEG400和无水醋酸钠一锅法催化合成4H-苯并吡喃衍生物
曹玉庆 李亚彬 吴国强
(河北大学药学院,071002, 保定)
摘要  在无溶剂条件下,由PEG400和无水醋酸钠催化的芳香醛,活泼亚甲基化合物,和1,3-环己二酮三种化合物一锅法合成苯并吡喃衍生物取得了较好的收率。
关键词  苯并吡喃,1,3-环己二酮, 聚乙二醇400, 无溶剂

 

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