Polyethylene glycol in water: Simple, efficient, and catalyst-free synthesis of 4H-pyran derivatives

ABSTRACTA green, one-pot, multicomponent method for the synthesis of diverse library of 4H-pyran derivatives such as 4-phenyl-4H-pyrans, spirochromenes, and dihydropyrano[3,2-c]chromines was developed using polyethylene glycol (PEG-600) as promoting reaction medium in water. The 4-phenyl-4H-pyran dihydropyrano[3,2-c]chromine derivatives were synthesized by a three-component reaction of aromatic aldehyde, malononitrile, and cyclic 1,3-dione/4-hydroxy coumarin at room temperature and reflux respectively. The promising points for the present methodology are efficiency, generality, high yield, short reaction time, cleaner reaction profile, ease of product isolation, potential to recycle reaction medium, and agreement with green chemistry protocols, making it a useful and attractive process for the synthesis of 4H-pyran derivatives.