Regioselective multicomponent sequential synthesis of hydantoins.

The development of new practical and green methods for the synthesis of small heterocycles is an attractive area of research due to the well-known potential of heterocyclic small molecule scaffolds in the drug discovery process. Herein we report a one-pot, three-component sequential procedure for the synthesis of diversely 1,3,5- and 1,3,5,5-substituted hydantoins, in high yields and very mild conditions, using readily accessible starting materials such as azides, iso(thio)cyanates and substituted α-halo-acetic carboxylic acids. This methodology is especially convenient for the synthesis of spiro-hydantoins, which are particularly interesting bioactive compounds in medicinal chemistry.