A Valuable Method for the Synthesis of 2-Benzylchromones: A Comparative Evaluation of Both Conventional and Microwave-Assisted Synthesis

Chromones (4H-chromen-4-ones) contemplate a naturally occurring class of compounds widely distributed in Nature, particularly in plants. This singular ring system has emerged as a privileged scaffold in medicinal chemistry, mainly due to its unique structural features, diverse biological activities, and pharmacological properties. Throughout the past few years, our efforts have been focused on synthesizing a series of 2-benzylchromones through a Claisen condensation, using 2'-hydroxyacetophenones and ethyl 2-phenylacetates. However, the extended periods of reaction necessary for the synthesis of 2-benzylchromones led to the search for an alternative. Thus, microwave irradiation emerged as a suitable approach to obtain these chromones in shorter reaction times and with similar or even improved synthetic yields. Our work demonstrates that it is possible to synthesize 2-benzylchromones through both conventional and microwave-assisted synthesis, favoring the use of microwave irradiation.

Automated summary

Chromones, a naturally occurring class of compounds widely distributed in nature, have emerged as a privileged scaffold in medicinal chemistry due to their unique structural features, diverse biological activities, and pharmacological properties. Researchers have successfully synthesized 2-benzylchromones through both conventional and microwave-assisted methods.