Electrocatalytic and chemical methods in MHIRC reactions: the first example of the multicomponent assembly of medicinally relevant spirocyclopropylbarbiturates from three different molecules

Electrolysis of aldehydes, barbituric acids, and malononitrile in alcohol in an undivided cell in the presence of sodium bromide results in efficient MHIRC formation of the corresponding spirocyclopropylbarbiturates in 50-65% substance yield. The electrocatalytic reaction smoothly proceeds under neutral and mild conditions with aromatic aldehydes bearing both electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups. The implication of electrocatalysis in MHIRC reaction is an efficient approach to medicinally relevant spirocyclopropylbarbiturates avoiding the inconvenient direct use of molecular halogen or halogenated substrates. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.