An Expedient One-pot Synthesis of Polyfunctionalized 4-Aryl-4H-benzo[b]pyrans as Potential Cytotoxic Agents

A practically facile microwave-enhanced synthesis of polyfunctionalized benzopyrans is described. The respective aromatic aldehyde and trimethoxyphenol with malononitrile in the presence of phase transfer agent (10 mol%, tetramethylammonium bromide or benzyltriethylammonium chloride) in water by microwave irradiation-assisted Knoevenagel and Pinner condensations provided novel polyfunctionalized 4-aryl-4H-benzopyrans, substituted 2-amino-4-aryl-4H-5,6,7-trimethoxy-chromene-3-carbonitriles (1-12), in high yields. The title benzopyrans had been primarily examined the cytotoxicity for MCF-7 (breast cancer cell), NCI-H460 (lung cancer cell) and SF268 cells (glioblastoma cell) by sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay.