Multicomponent Reactions (MCRs) are convergent reactions, in which three or more starting materials react to form a product, where basically all or most of the atoms contribute to the newly formed product. In an MCR, a product is assembled according to a cascade of elementary chemical reactions. Such considerations are of particular importance in connection with the design and discovery of novel MCRs.
By using multicomponent synthetic strategy, a series of fused pyridoimidazole derivatives (MT series) was identified as potential antimitotic agents by SHEN Jingkang’s Group, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica(SIMM)(J Comb Chem 2007, 739; J Comb Chem 2010, 222; Invest New Drug 2010, 715; International Journal of Cancer 2011, 214). Meanwhile, SHEN’s group accidentally found Cu(I)/pyridine catalytic condition, salicaldehydes and ethyl isocyanoacetate could furnish aminocourmarins in good to excellent yields. The later was studied as Hsp90 inhibitors and fluorescent markers. Upon reaction with primary or secondary amines, the 3CC reaction could afford N-substituted chromeno[3,4-d]imidazol-4(1H)-ones and 3-methylideneaminocoumarins in good yields. This study was published on Adv Synth Catal 2011, 918-924.