Abstract
A convenient synthetic approach for pharmaceutically important benzocoumarin-based heterocyclic compounds has been studied. β-enaminonitrile has been used for the synthesis of a broad diversity of new benzocoumarins and related compounds over different reaction steps. Various synthetic approaches were used in this research for synthesis of heterocyclic systems such as acid-catalyzed hydrolysis, decarboxylation, deamination, ring opening and ring closure. The molecular structures of the newly synthesized derivatives were established by elemental analyses and spectral data (IR, 1H-NMR, and 13C-NMR). Some of the newly synthesized compounds were explored for their antimicrobial activities.