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Tumor-targeted and stimuli-activatable nanosensitizers are highly desirable for cancer theranostics. However, design of smart nanosensitizers with multiple imaging signals and synergistic therapeutic activities switched on is challenging. Herein, we report tumor-targeted and redox-activatable nanosensitizers (1-NPs) for sono-photodynamic immunotherapy of tumors by molecular co-assembly and redox-controlled disassembly. 1-NPs show a high longitudinal relaxivity (r1 = 18.7 ± 0.3 mM-1 s-1), but "off" dual fluorescence (FL) emissions (at 547 and 672 nm), "off" sono-photodynamic therapy and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) inhibition activities. Upon reduction by glutathione (GSH), 1-NPs rapidly disassemble and remotely release small molecules 2-Gd, Zn-PPA-SH and NLG919, concurrently switching on (1) dual FL emissions, (2) sono-photodynamic therapy and (3) IDO1 inhibition activities. After systemic injection, 1-NPs are effective for bimodal FL and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-guided sono-photodynamic immunotherapy of orthotropic breast and brain tumors in mice under combined ultrasound (US) and 671-nm laser irradiation.

Multimodal imaging, which harnesses two or more imaging modalities to produce complementary anatomical and molecular information of a living subject, has become as a powerful tool in both basic biomedical research and clinical diagnosis. The progresses in multimodal imaging are paralleled by the advances in multimodal probes, particularly activatable multimodal imaging probes that can generate concurrent switches in different imaging modality signals upon interaction with a molecular target. These probes are extremely promising for in vivo imaging. In this Minireview, we summarize the recent progress in activatable multimodal probes for in vivo imaging and cancer theranostics, focusing on their design principle, signal activation mechanism and biomedical applications. The current challenges and perspectives for future developments of activatable multimodal probes are also briefly discussed. We hope that this Minireview will provide inspiration for the design of other activatable multimodal probes for improving in vivo imaging and theranostics.

10,11-Bis[bis(4-dimethylaminophenyl)methylene]dibenzo[bf]thiepin (1) and -oxepin (2) were prepared as stable yellow crystalline compounds, which are the cyclic analogues of electron-donating hexaarylbutadienes. Upon two-electron oxidation, they are reversibly transformed into the title dications (1

Reversible imaging probes that allow for the dynamic visualization of the redox cycle between hydroxyl radical (⋅OH) and hydrogen sulfide (H

Pretargeted imaging has emerged as a promising approach to advance nuclear imaging of malignant tumors, however, the application of pretargeted strategy for multimodality imaging of enzyme activity in vivo is challenging. Herein, we combine the enzyme-mediated fluorogenic reaction and in situ self-assembly with the inverse electron demand Diels-Alder (IEDDA) reaction to develop an activatable pretargeted strategy for multimodality imaging. The trans -cyclooctene (TCO) bearing small-molecule probe, P-FFGd-TCO , can be activated by alkaline phosphatase and in situ self-assembles into nanoaggregates ( FMNPs-TCO ) retained on the membranes, permitting to (1) amplify near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence (FL) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signals, and (2) enrich TCOs to promote IEDDA ligation. The Gallium-68 ( 68 Ga) labeled tetrazine can readily conjugate the tumor-retained FMNPs-TCO to enhance radioactivity uptake in tumors. Hence, strong NIR FL, MRI and positron emission tomography (PET) signals are concomitantly achieved, allowing for pretargeted multimodality imaging of ALP activity in HeLa tumor-bearing mice.

Enzyme-triggered macrocyclization and in situ self-assembly of small molecules into nanoparticles has shown promise to design activatable probes for molecular imaging. However, controlling macrocyclization and self-assembly to concurrently augment positron emission tomography (PET) and photoacoustic (PA) signals for bimodality imaging is challenging. Herein, we report the engineering of a triazole-IR780 fluorophore as a versatile macrocyclization scaffold for controlling in situ self-assembly and design a caspase-3-activatable PA/PET bimodal probe ([

Stimuli-responsive smart photosensitizer (PS) nanoassemblies that allow enhanced delivery and controlled release of PSs are promising for imaging-guided photodynamic therapy (PDT) of tumors. However, the lack of high-sensitivity and spatial-resolution signals and fast washout of released PSs from tumor tissues have impeded PDT efficacy in vivo. Herein, we report tumor targeting, redox-responsive magnetic and fluorogenic PS nanoassemblies (NP-RGD) synthesized via self-assembly of a cRGD- and disulfide-containing fluorogenic and paramagnetic small molecule (1-RGD) for fluorescence/magnetic resonance bimodal imaging-guided tumor PDT. NP-RGD show high r1 relaxivity but quenched fluorescence and PDT activity; disulfide reduction by glutathione (GSH) promotes efficient disassembly into a small-molecule probe (2-RGD) and an organic PS (PPa-SH), which could further bind with intracellular albumin, allowing prolonged retention and cascade activation of fluorescence and PDT to ablate tumors.

Near-infrared (NIR) probes are ideal for fluorescence labeling and imaging of biological targets in living animals. However, the instability of common NIR dyes hampers the construction of NIR probes bearing multiple functional components such as biomolecules for specific targeting and imaging reagents for multimodality imaging. To overcome these limitations, we designed a novel NIR scaffold bearing two terminal alkynes as clickable handles and a chloride on the heptamethine backbone that allows nucleophilic substitution with an azide to generate the third clickable handle. This unique scaffold allows for facile installation of multiple functional arms for the construction of multifunctional NIR probes. Various biomacromolecules or imaging reagents can be introduced to the NIR scaffold by sequential one-pot click reactions under biocompatible conditions. The preclickable handle chloride on the NIR backbone does not interfere with the initial click reactions, and it can be easily transformed into an azide for a following click reaction. On the basis of this unique NIR scaffold, we developed a highly efficient method to construct diverse NIR probes containing multiple functional biomolecules including peptides, antibodies, nucleic acids, and NIR/PET (positron emission tomography) dual-modality imaging probes bearing tumor-targeting groups. NIR imaging or multimodality imaging using these probes was performed on live cells or tumor models on living mice.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an important endogenous gasotransmitter, but the targeted delivery and real-time feedback of exogenous H2S are still challenging. With the aid of density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we designed a new 1,3-dithiolium-4-olate (DTO) compound, which can react with a strained alkyne via the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition and the retro-Diels-Alder reaction to generate carbonyl sulfide (COS) as the precursor of H2S, and a thiophene derivative with turn-on fluorescence. Moreover, the diphenylamino substituent in DTO greatly increases the mitochondrial targeting of this H2S delivery system. Such a bioorthogonal click-and-release reaction has integrated three functions in one system for the first time: (1) in-situ controllable H2S release, (2) concomitant fluorescence response, and (3) mitochondria-targeted delivery. In addition, we investigated the mitochondrial membrane potential loss alleviation by using this system in H9c2 cells under oxidative stress.

Accurate detection of hepatic hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) to monitor H 2 S-related enzymes' activity is critical for acute hepatitis diagnosis, but remains a challenge due to the dynamic and transient nature of H 2 S. Here, we report a H 2 S-activatable near-infrared afterglow/MRI bimodal probe F1 -GdNP, which shows an "always-on" MRI signal and "off-on" afterglow signal toward H 2 S. F1 -GdNP shows fast response, high sensitivity and specificity toward H 2 S, permitting afterglow imaging of H 2 S and evaluation of cystathionine γ -lyase's activity in living mice. We further employ the high spatial-resolution MRI signal of F1 -GdNP to track its delivery and accumulation in liver. Importantly, F1 -GdNP offers a high signal-to-background ratio (SBR = 86.2 ± 12.0) to sensitively report on the increased hepatic H 2 S level in the acute hepatitis mice via afterglow imaging, which correlated well with the upregulated CSE activity in the liver, showcasing the good potential of F1 -GdNP for monitoring of acute hepatitis process in vivo.

Renal-clearable and target-responsive near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent imaging probes have been promising for in vivo diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI). However, designing an imaging probe that is renal-clearable and concurrently responsive toward multiple molecular targets to facilitate early detection of AKI with improved sensitivity and specificity is challenging. Herein, by leveraging the receptor-mediated binding and retention effect along with enzyme-triggered fluorescence activation, we design and synthesize an activatable small-molecule NIR fluorescent probe (1-DPA2) using a "one-pot sequential click reaction" approach. 1-DPA2 can target both the externalized phosphatidylserine (PS) and active caspase-3 (Casp-3), two essential biomarkers of apoptosis, producing enhanced 808 nm NIR fluorescence and a high signal-to-background ratio (SBR) amenable to detecting the onset of cisplatin-induced AKI in mice as early as 24 h post-treatment with cisplatin. We not only monitor the gradual activation of Casp-3 in the kidney of mice upon AKI progression but also can report on the progressive recovery of kidney functions in AKI mice following N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) therapy via real-time fluorescence imaging by 1-DPA2. This study demonstrates the ability of 1-DPA2 for longitudinal monitoring of renal cell apoptosis by concurrently targeting PS externalization and Casp-3 activation, which is efficient for early diagnosis of AKI and useful for prediction of potential drug nephrotoxicity as well as in vivo screening of anti-AKI drugs' efficacy.

A facile access to highly fused tetracyclic indeno-1,2-benzothiazines has been established via a Rh(III)-catalyzed C-H bond activation and intramolecular annulation cascade between sulfoximides and all-carbon diazo indandiones. This strategy is characterized by the fact that the diazo coupling partners do not require preactivation, along with its high efficiency, broad substrate generality, and facile transformation. Particularly, the highly conjugated tetracyclic products demonstrate good optical properties and can easily enter cells to emit bright fluorescence for live cell imaging.

Controlled generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is essential in biological, chemical, and environmental fields, and piezoelectric catalysis is an emerging method to generate ROS, especially in sonodynamic therapy due to its high tissue penetrability, directed orientation, and ability to trigger in situ ROS generation. However, due to the low piezoelectric coefficient, and environmental safety and chemical stability concerns of current piezoelectric ROS catalysts, novel piezoelectric materials are urgently needed. Here, we demonstrate a method to induce polarization of inert poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) particles ( ~ 1–5 μm) into piezoelectric electrets with a mild and convenient ultrasound process. Continued ultrasonic irradiation of the PTFE electrets generates ROS including hydroxyl radicals (•OH), superoxide (•O2−) and singlet oxygen (1O2) at rates significantly faster than previously reported piezoelectric catalysts. In summary, ultrasonic activation of inert PTFE particles is a simple method to induce permanent PTFE polarization and to piezocatalytically generate aqueous ROS that is desirable in a wide-range of applications from environmental pollution control to biomedical therapy., Controlled generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is essential in biological, chemical, and environmental fields. Here, the authors report that ultrasonication can induce polarization of inert poly(tetrafluoroethylene) to a piezoelectric electret and drive piezocatalytic generation of aqueous ROS.

Stimuli-responsive in situ self-assembly of small molecules to form nanostructures in living subjects has produced promising tools for molecular imaging and tissue engineering. However, controlling the self-assembly process to simultaneously activate multimodality imaging signals in a small-molecule probe is challenging. In this paper, we rationally integrate a fluorogenic reaction into enzyme-responsive in situ self-assembly to design small-molecule-based activatable near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence and magnetic resonance (MR) bimodal probes for molecular imaging. Using alkaline phosphatase (ALP) as a model target, we demonstrate that probe (P-CyFF-Gd) can be activated by endogenous ALP overexpressed on cell membranes, producing membrane-localized assembled nanoparticles (NPs) that can be directly visualized by cryo-SEM. Simultaneous enhancements in NIR fluorescence (>70-fold at 710 nm) and r1 relaxivity (∼2.3-fold) enable real-time, high-sensitivity, high-spatial-resolution imaging and localization of the ALP activity in live tumor cells and mice. P-CyFF-Gd can also delineate orthotopic liver tumor foci, facilitating efficient real-time, image-guided surgical resection of tumor tissues in intraoperative mice. This strategy combines activatable NIR fluorescence via a fluorogenic reaction and activatable MRI via in situ self-assembly to promote ALP activity imaging, which could be applicable to design other activatable bimodal probes for in vivo imaging of enzyme activity and locations in real time.

Photoacoustic (PA) imaging shows promise in the sensitive detection of caspase-3 activated in early tumor apoptosis in response to chemotherapy; smart PA probes are thus in high demand. Herein, we report the first smart PA probe (1-RGD) responsive to caspase-3, enabling real-time and high-resolution imaging of tumor apoptosis. 1-RGD is designed to leverage the synergetic effect of active delivery and caspase-3 activation. It is selectively recognized by active caspase-3 to trigger peptide substrate cleavage and biocompatible macrocyclization-mediated self-assembly, leading to an amplified PA imaging signal and prolonged retention in apoptotic tumor cells. Strong, high-resolution PA images are obtained in chemotherapy-induced apoptotic tumors in living mice after intravenous administration with 1-RGD, facilitating sensitive reporting of caspase-3 activity and distribution within tumor tissues.

Biocompatible reactions have emerged as versatile tools to build various molecular imaging probes that hold great promise for the detection of biological processes in vitro and/or in vivo. In this Minireview, we describe the recent advances in the development of a firefly luciferin-inspired biocompatible reaction between cyanobenzothiazole (CBT) and cysteine (Cys), and highlight its versatility to label proteins and build multimodality molecular imaging probes. The review starts from the general introduction of biocompatible reactions, which is followed by briefly describing the development of the firefly luciferin-inspired biocompatible chemistry. We then discuss its applications for the specific protein labeling and for the development of multimodality imaging probes (fluorescence, bioluminescence, MRI, PET, photoacoustic, etc.) that enable high sensitivity and spatial resolution imaging of redox environment, furin and caspase-3/7 activity in living cells and mice. Finally, we offer the conclusions and our perspective on the various and potential applications of this reaction. We hope that this review will contribute to the research of biocompatible reactions for their versatile applications in protein labeling and molecular imaging.

Dual stimuli-responsive nanoparticles capable of fine-tuning drug release to augment therapeutic efficacy have become a promising tool for anticancer drug delivery. However, the rational design of these "smart" nanoparticles for a selective delivery and controlled release of multidrug combinations in cancer cells to achieve synergistic effects remain challenging. Here we report the pH/redox dual responsive nanoparticle FA-DOX-Ind-NP (FA=folic acid, DOX=doxorubicin, Ind=indomethacin, NP=nanoparticle) based on the novel tumor targeting and biodegradable poly(β-amino ester) polymer, and demonstrate its high ability to enter into cancer cells and release a combination of the anticancer drug doxorubicin and the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin to achieve synergistic chemo-anti-inflammatory effects and overcome multidrug resistance. This study highlights the great potential of tumor targeting and dual stimuli-responsive nanoparticles for an efficient delivery of multidrug combination to improve the cancer therapeutic efficacy.

Electrochromic materials (EMs) are widely used color-switchable materials, but their applications as stimuli-responsive biomaterials to monitor and control biological processes remain unexplored. This study reports the engineering of an organic π-electron structure-based EM (dicationic 1,1,4,4-tetraarylbutadiene, 12+) as a unique hydrogen sulfide (H2S)-responsive chromophore amenable to build H2S-activatable fluorescent probes (12+-semiconducting polymer nanoparticles, 12+-SNPs) for in vivo H2S detection. We demonstrate that EM 12+, with a strong absorption (500–850 nm), efficiently quenches the fluorescence (580, 700, or 830 nm) of different fluorophores within 12+-SNPs, while the selective conversion into colorless diene 2 via H2S-mediated two-electron reduction significantly recovers fluorescence, allowing for non-invasive imaging of hepatic and tumor H2S in mice in real time. Strikingly, EM 12+ is further applied to design a near-infrared photosensitizer with tumor-targeting and H2S-activatable ability for effective photodynamic therapy (PDT) of H2S-related tumors in mice. This study demonstrates promise for applying EMs to build activatable probes for molecular imaging of H2S and selective PDT of tumors, which may lead to the development of new EMs capable of detecting and regulating essential biological processes in vivo.

Selective imaging and inducing mitochondrial dysfunction in tumor cells using mitochondria-targeting probes has become as a promising approach for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Here, we report the design of a fluorescent berberine analog, dehydroberberine (DH-BBR), as a new mitochondria-targeting probe capable of self-assembling into monodisperse organic nanoparticles (DTNPs) upon integration with a lipophilic counter anion, allowing for enhanced fluorescence imaging and treatment of tumors in living mice. X-ray crystallography revealed that the self-assembly process was attributed to a synergy of different molecular interactions, including π-π stacking, O⋅⋅⋅π interaction and electrostatic interaction between DH-BBR and counter anions. We demonstrated that DTNPs could efficiently enter tumor tissue following intravenous injection and enhance mitochondrial delivery of DH-BBR via an electrostatic interaction driven anion exchange process. Selective accumulation in the mitochondria capable of emitting strong fluorescence and causing mitochondrial dysfunction was achieved, enabling efficient inhibition of tumor growth in living mice. This study demonstrates promise for applying lipophilic anions to control molecular self-assembly and tune antitumor activity of mitochondria-targeting probes, which can facilitate to improve cancer treatment in vivo.

The development of sensitive and selective small molecular probes that enable real-time detection of endogenous cysteine (Cys) has become an attractive topic because of the essential roles played by Cys in controlling the cellular nitrogen balance and in maintaining biological redox homeostasis. Herein, we report a Cys-specific probe, 2-cyanobenzothiazol-6-yl acrylate (CBTOA), that shows not only fluorescence turn-on for sensitive detection of endogenous Cys but also enhanced probe retention inside cells for real-time monitoring of Cys levels upon external stimulation. Cys-mediated intracellular formation of luciferin from CBTOA was the key strategy leading to this new type of fluorogenic probe. CBTOA showed fast response to Cys in living cells and liver tissue slices with high sensitivity and selectivity. By using CBTOA as a real-time probe, we were able to monitor the change in Cys levels in living HeLa cells under ROS-induced oxidative stress as well as in human mesenchymal stem cells during adipogenic differentiation.

γ-Glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) is a cell-membrane-bound enzyme that is involved in various physiological and pathological processes and is regarded as a potential biomarker for many malignant tumors, precise detection of which is useful for early cancer diagnosis. Herein, a new GGT-activatable near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging probe (GANP) by linking of a GGT-recognitive substrate γ-glutamate (γ-Glu) and a NIR merocyanine fluorophore (mCy-Cl) with a self-immolative linker p-aminobenzyl alcohol (PABA) is reported. GANP was stable under physiological conditions, but could be efficiently activated by GGT to generate ≈100-fold enhanced fluorescence, enabling high sensitivity (detection limit of ≈3.6 mU L-1 ) and specificity for the real-time imaging of GGT activity as well as rapid evaluation of the inhibition efficacy of GGT inhibitors in living tumor cells. Notably, the deep tissue penetration ability of NIR fluorescence could further allow GANP to image GGT in frozen tumor tissue slices with large penetration depth (>100 μm) and in xenograft tumors in living mice. This GGT activatable NIR fluorescence imaging probe could facilitate the study and diagnosis of other GGT-correlated diseases in vivo.

A one-pot novel and efficient approach was developed for the α-alkylation of various nitriles with carbonyl compounds using ruthenium-amido complex catalyst 1. The C―C bond was formed through aldol reaction followed by hydrogenation with triethylamine―formic acid (TEAF) and 1. Moderate to high yields were obtained, and a variety of functional groups were tolerated, including nitro and chloro groups, and a furan ring.

A highly efficient method has been developed for the one-pot synthesis of multi-ring heterocyclic compounds such as pyrrolo-/pyrido[2,1-b]benzo[d][1,3]oxazin-1-ones from o-aminobenzyl alcohols via a gold(I)-catalyzed tandem coupling/ cyclization reaction. Significantly, the strategy presents a straightforward and efficient approach to construct novel tricyclic or polycyclic molecular architectures in which two new C-N bonds and one C-O bond are formed in a one-pot reaction operation from two simple starting materials. Moreover, a broad spectrum of substrates can participate in the process effectively to produce the desired products in good yields.

A simple, convenient and green synthetic approach to diverse fused tricyclic xanthines has been developed via gold(I) complex-catalyzed intramolecular hydroamination or silver(I)-catalyzed isomerization-hydroamination of terminal alkynes under microwave irradiation in water. The first synthesis of N9-annelated xanthines has also been reported.

An efficient avenue for the facile and atom-economic synthesis of (1H)-isochromen-1- imines has been developed, and a broad spectrum of substrates can participate in the process effectively to produce the desired products in good yields. Significantly, this is the first report of the synthesis of (1H)-isochromen-1-imines that involves a silver(I)-catalyzed, regiocontrolled intramolecular addition of the carbonyl group of the amide moiety towards an alkyne.

Mitochondria-targeting theranostic probes that enable the simultaneously reporting of and triggering of mitochondrial dysfunctions in cancer cells are highly attractive for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Three fluorescent mitochondria-targeting theranostic probes have been developed by linking a mitochondrial dye, coumarin-3-carboximide, with a widely used traditional Chinese medicine, artemisinin, to kill cancer cells. Fluorescence images showed that the designed coumarin-artemisinin conjugates localized mainly in mitochondria, leading to enhanced anticancer activities over artemisinin. High cytotoxicity against cancer cells correlated with the strong ability to accumulate in mitochondria, which could efficiently increase the intracellular reactive oxygen species level and induce cell apoptosis. This study highlights the potential of using mitochondria-targeting fluorophores to selectively trigger and directly visualize subcellular drug delivery in living cells.

An 18F-labeled caspase-3 sensitive nano-aggregation PET tracer ([18F]CSNAT) was prepared and evaluated for imaging caspase-3 activity in doxorubicin-treated tumor xenografts. This enzyme-activatable PET tracer is designed to function in a novel mechanism – enhanced retention of the 18F activity in apoptotic tumors is achieved through intramolecular macrocyclization and in situ aggregation upon caspase-3 activation.

AgOTf is shown to be an efficient catalyst for the hydroamination of alkynes in aqueous solution.

The procedure is highly suitable for the transformation of aromatic aldehydes and tolerates a broad spectrum of functionalities.

A regioselective hydroamidation of 2-(1-alkynyl)phenylacetamides with Au(PPh(3))Cl/AgSbF(6) as the catalyst proceeded by a 7-endo-dig pathway to afford 3-benzazepinones. This method accommodates a broad range of alkyl and aryl alkynyl substitutes in moderate to high yields (63-91%). Moreover, unexpectedly, we also discovered a gold-mediated transformation from 2-(1-alkynyl)phenylacetamides to 5-bromo-3-benzazepinones, and AuBr(3) was found to not only play an activation role but also act as a reactant in the reaction for the first time.

A simple, convenient and green synthetic approach to diverse fused tricyclic xanthines has been developed via gold(I) complex-catalyzed intramolecular hydroamination or silver(I)-catalyzed isomerization-hydroamination of terminal alkynes under microwave irradiation in water. The first synthesis of N9-annelated xanthines has also been reported.

An efficient avenue for the facile and atom-economic synthesis of (1H)-isochromen-1- imines has been developed, and a broad spectrum of substrates can participate in the process effectively to produce the desired products in good yields. Significantly, this is the first report of the synthesis of (1H)-isochromen-1-imines that involves a silver(I)-catalyzed, regiocontrolled intramolecular addition of the carbonyl group of the amide moiety towards an alkyne.

An efficient protocol was developed for the synthesis of fused heterocyclic multiring compounds pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinolin-1(2H)-ones via a AuBr3/AgSbF6-catalyzed cascade transformation. Significantly, the strategy affords a straightforward and efficient approach to construction of tricyclic lactam molecular architectures in which two new C−C bonds and one new C−N bond are formed in a one-pot synthetic operation from simple starting materials. Moreover, a broad spectrum of substrates can participate in the process effectively to produce the desired products in good yields and with excellent regio- and chemoselectivities.

Using [Au(PPh3)]Cl/Ag2CO3-catalyzed 5-endo-digcyclization in water under microwave irradiation, we developed a fast and green route to prepare indole-1-carboxamides from N′-substituted N-(2-alkynylphenyl)ureas. The described method is tolerant to a variety of functional groups, including N′-aryl, alkyl, heterocyclic, various N-(substituted-2-ethynylphenyl) and N-(2-ethynylpyridin-3-yl)ureas and affords moderate to high yields of the desired products.

An efficient protocol was developed for the synthesis of fused heterocyclic multiring compounds pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinolin-1(2H)-ones via a AuBr(3)/AgSbF(6)-catalyzed cascade transformation. Significantly, the strategy affords a straightforward and efficient approach to construction of tricyclic lactam molecular architectures in which two new C-C bonds and one new C-N bond are formed in a one-pot synthetic operation from simple starting materials. Moreover, a broad spectrum of substrates can participate in the process effectively to produce the desired products in good yields and with excellent regio- and chemoselectivities.

We developed an efficient and convenient method for preparing N-substituted 2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3-(4H)-ones from 2-halophenols via a nucleophilic substitution with 2-chloroacetamides followed by a CuI-catalyzed coupling cyclization. A broad spectrum of substrates can be effectively employed to afford the desired products in good yields. Since this method involves simple reaction conditions, a short reaction time, and a broad substrate scope, it is particularly attractive for the efficient preparation of biologically and medicinally interesting molecules.

We developed an efficient and convenient method for preparing N-substituted 2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3-(4H)-ones from 2-halophenols via a nucleophilic substitution with 2-chloroacetamides followed by a CuI-catalyzed coupling cyclization. A broad spectrum of substrates can be effectively employed to afford the desired products in good yields. Since this method involves simple reaction conditions, a short reaction time, and a broad substrate scope, it is particularly attractive for the efficient preparation of biologically and medicinally interesting molecules.

Using [Au(PPh3)]Cl/Ag2CO3-catalyzed 5-endo-digcyclization in water under microwave irradiation, we developed a fast and green route to prepare indole-1-carboxamides from N′-substituted N-(2-alkynylphenyl)ureas. The described method is tolerant to a variety of functional groups, including N′-aryl, alkyl, heterocyclic, various N-(substituted-2-ethynylphenyl) and N-(2-ethynylpyridin-3-yl)ureas and affords moderate to high yields of the desired products.