General non-catalytic approach to spiroacenaphthylene heterocycles: multicomponent assembling of acenaphthenequinone, cyclic CH-acids and malononitrile

The new type of non-catalytic cascade reaction was found: the direct multicomponent reaction of acenaphthenequinone, cyclic CH-acids, and malononitrile to form spiroacenaphthylene heterocycles. The direct heating in water acenaphthenequinone, cyclic CH-acids, and malononitrile at 80 degrees C results in the formation of spiroacenaphthylene heterocycles in 90-95% yields. Thus, a new simple and efficient green 'one-pot' method to synthesize substituted spiroacenaphthylene frameworks was found directly from simple starting compounds. The application of this convenient green multicomponent method is also beneficial from the viewpoint of diversity-oriented large-scale processes. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.