ChemInform Abstract: Potassium Phthalimide: An Efficient and Green Organocatalyst for the Synthesis of 4-Aryl-7-(arylmethylene)-3,4,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-cyclopenta [d]pyrimidin-2(5H)-ones/thiones under Solvent-Free Conditions

An efficient synthesis of Biginelli-type compounds using potassium phthalimide as a green, mild, and commercially available organocatalyst in a one-pot, multi-component cyclocondensation reaction of cyclopentanone, aldehydes, and urea/thiourea is reported. The present methodology is a green approach to access 4-aryl-7-(arylmethylene)-3,4,6,7-tetrahydro-1 H -cyclopenta[ d ]pyrimidin-2(5 H )-ones/thiones. It offers several merits such as simple operational procedures, no use of hazardous organic solvents, and cheap and environmentally friendly solid basic catalyst.