The screening of Chinese medicinal herbs for insecticidal principles showed that the essential oil of Echinops grijsii Hance roots possessed significant larvicidal activity against mosquitoes. The essential oil was extracted via hydrodistillation and its constituents were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. GC-MS analyses revealed the presence of 31 components, ...

Brominated anthraquinones can be synthesized directly from bromothiophenes when these are reacted with 1,4-naphthoquinones in the presence of meta-chloroperoxybenzoic acid. The bromoanthraquinones are versatile building blocks in the preparation of arylated anthraquinones and of extended pi-systems with interspersed anthraquinone units.

Organosulphur compounds can be easily and selectively oxidized to sulfones using a small excess of Oxone(®) (1.6 eq.) under solventless mechanical milling conditions. This green procedure has been efficiently applied to a series of model compounds and to the desulphurization of medium/high sulphur content paraffins (up to 3000 mg kg(-1)).

2-Allyl-substituted thiophenes and furans are synthesised efficiently in a direct procedure using 2-heteroaryllithium reagents and allyl bromides and chlorides catalysed by ligand-free copper(i). The reactions take place under mild conditions, with excellent α-selectivity, high functional group tolerance and good yields for the SN2 products.

Metal-free, p-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TSA)-mediated, straightforward propargylation of β-ketothioamides with aryl propargyl alcohol has been achieved at room temperature. In addition, the reaction also provided thiazole rings as byproducts. Furthermore, the propargylated thioamides undergo intramolecular 1,5-cyclization to afford fully substituted (hydro)thiophenes in the presence of base. Nota...

A highly efficient tetra-(n-butyl)ammonium fluoride (TBAF)-promoted intramolecular cyclization of gem-dibromoolefins has been developed for the synthesis of 2-bromobenzofused heterocycles. The reaction provides a convenient approach to 2-bromobenzofurans(thiophenes) from the corresponding readily available gem-dibromovinyl substrates without a metal.

The iron-catalyzed arylation of aromatic heterocycles, such as pyridines, thiophenes, and furans, has been achieved. The use of an imine directing group allowed for the ortho functionalization of these heterocycles with complete conversion in 15 min at 0 °C. Yields up to 88% were observed in the synthesis of 15 heterocyclic biaryls.

Palladium-catalyzed amidation of five-membered heterocyclic bromides that contain multiple heteroatoms was achieved for the first time using the Pd/1 catalyst system. This system allows for efficient access to N-arylated imidazoles, pyrazoles, thiazoles, pyrroles, and thiophenes in moderate to excellent yield. Experimental results and DFT calculations point to the need for electron-rich and esp...