The catalytic ability of ZrO(2)/SO(4)(2-) to promote solventless three-component condensation reactions of a diversity of aromatic aldehydes, urea or thoiurea and ethyl acetoacetate was studied. Products resulting from Hantzsch and/or Biginelli multi-component reactions are obtained in the presence of solid acid catalysts using the same reactants but different temperature conditions. The sulfat...

Allylation and benzylation of p-quinones was achieved through an unusual redox chain reaction. Mechanistic studies suggest that the existence of trace hydroquinone initiates a redox chain reaction that consists of a Lewis acid catalyzed Friedel-Crafts alkylation and a subsequent redox equilibrium that regenerates hydroquinone. The electrophiles could be various allylic and benzylic esters. The ...

New N,N-disubstituted β-amino acids and their derivatives with thiazole, aromatic, and heterocyclic substituents were synthesized from N-phenyl-N-thiocarbamoyl-β-alanine by the Hantzsch method; derivatives with hydrazone fragments were also obtained. Some of the synthesized compounds exhibited discrete antimicrobial activity, and 3-[(4-oxo-4,5-dihydro-1,3-thiazol-2-yl)(phenyl)amino]propanoic ac...

Acridinediones were synthesized by the one-pot Hantzsch condensation of an aromatic aldehyde, 5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione, and aniline/4-methylaniline in refluxing water. This method has then been extended to the four-component reaction of an aromatic aldehyde, 5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione, ethyl acetoacetate and ammonium acetate for the synthesis of polyhydroquinoline derivatives. Th...

By utilizing Hantzsch esters as the hydrogen source, asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of C=C, C=N, and C=O is realized in the presence of an organocatalyst or a metal-ligand complex, thus affording versatile chiral building blocks in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities under mild conditions. A detailed discussion of recent findings and an assessment of this biomimetic approach are ...