Polyethylene Glycol (PEG 300) and Water–Ethanol as Benign Solvent Systems for the Synthesis of a Novel Series of 2-Hydroxynaphthalen-1(4H)-Ones

Abstract

An improved, clean, simple, and efficient method for the synthesis of new series of 2-hydroxy-4-methylenenaphthalen-1(4H)-one is described. This new process involves a domino Michael addition of various methylene acid compounds with the sodium salt of 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonate either in basic (tBuOK) polyethylene glycol (PEG300) at room temperature or in a basic (NaOH) water–ethanol medium at 40 °C by a crushing in a mortar or a traditional heating.

Keywords:

• Acid methylene
• 2-hydroxynaphthalen-1(4H)-one
• lawsone
• Michael addition
• 1,2-naphthoquinomethane
• polyethylene glycol (PEG300)
• water–ethanol media

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We gratefully acknowledge the CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), the (Region Basse-Normandie), the University of Tlemcen, and the European Union (FEDER funding) for their financial support.