Synthesis of new substituted imidazo[1,2-a]pyridinylpropenenitriles through sequential one-pot Suzuki-Miyaura/Knoevenagel reactions in aqueous medium

A series of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridinylpropenenitriles were synthesized via consecutive one-pot Suzuki-Miyaura and Knoevenagel reactions in water/ethanol mixture between imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-2-carbaldehydes, arylboronic acids and malononitrile, methyl cyanoacetate or ethyl cyanoacetate. This environmental friendly procedure tolerates a wide range of boronic acids and affords a new substituted imidazo[1,2-a]pyridinyl propenenitriles in good yields under microwave irradiation. [GRAPHICS] .