Visible light-mediated ring opening and cyclization of aryl cyclopropanes: efficient synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalin-4(5H)-ones with antineoplastic activity

Abstract

Herein, we report the visible light-mediated synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalin-4(5H)-ones from aryl cyclopropanes, quinoxalinones, hydrochloric acid, and nitric acid through ring opening and unexpected cyclization. This operationally simple and catalyst-free methodology opens a green and efficient approach for the synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalin-4(5H)-ones possessing good antineoplastic activity using cheap standard laboratory reagents, and the scalability of the developed protocol is further demonstrated by a gram-scale synthesis and in vitro cytotoxicity assay.