The multicomponent reaction of imidazo[1,5-a]pyridine carbenes with phthalaldehydes and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate: a facile construction of benzo[d]furo[3,2-b]azepines.

A study on the multicomponent reaction comprising both N-heterocyclic carbenes and substituted phthalaldehydes is reported. The imidazo[1,5-a]pyridine carbenes, namely imidazo[1,5-a]pyridine-3-ylidenes, reacted with phthalaldehydes and DMAD under very mild conditions to produce novel fused tricyclic benzo[d]furo[3,2-b]azepine derivatives. The resulting fused heterocyclic compounds are fluorescent and they give an emission around 500 nm with quantum yields (Φ(F)) being up to 0.81. This study provides not only a unique approach to fused azepine derivatives that are not easily accessible by other methods, but also opens a new avenue to complicated molecular skeletons. The fluorescence properties of long emission wavelength and high fluorescence quantum yields of some products predict their potential applications as optical sensors.

Multicomponent reaction of imidazo[1,5-a]pyridine carbenes with aldehydes and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate or allenoates: a straightforward approach to fully substituted furans.

The facile three-component reactions of N,N-substituted imidazo[1,5-a]pyridine carbenes, namely imidazo[1,5-a]pyridin-3-ylidenes, with aldehydes and DMAD or allenoates were disclosed. Both reactions proceeded via tandem nucleophilic addition, [3 + 2]-cycloaddition, and ring transformation to produce different 4-[(2-pyridyl)methyl]aminofuran derivatives generally in moderate yields. This work not only provided the first example of the application of imidazo[1,5-a]pyridin-3-ylidenes in organic synthesis but also developed a straightforward approach to fully substituted furans that are not easily accessible by other methods.