Sc(OTf)₃-Mediated One-Pot Synthesis of Coumarin-Fused Furans: A Thiol-Dependent Reaction for the Easy Access of 2-Phenyl-4H-furo[3,2-<i>c</i>]chromen-4-ones

Abstract

Herein, we report a simple and efficient method for the preparation of novel thioether-linked coumarin-fused furans from the one-pot three-component reaction of arylglyoxal, 4-hydroxycoumarin, and various aromatic thiols in the presence of Sc(OTf)₃ as a catalyst. This methodology is also applicable to cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyls such as cyclohexane-1,3-dione and dimedone. Depending upon the thiols, this methodology can either give a three-component thioether-linked coumarin-fused furan (<b>4</b>) or a two-component furocoumarin product (<b>5</b>). Wide substrate scope, good to excellent yields, and products having more than one pharmaceutically important motif are the salient features of this methodology.