Microwave-Assisted Cadogan Reaction for the Synthesis of 2-Aryl-2H-indazoles, 2-Aryl-1H-benzimidazoles, 2-Carbonylindoles, Carbazole, and Phenazine

The Cadogan reaction, a widely accepted route for the synthesis of nitrogen containing heterocycles, is modified by using microwave radiation as the source of heat instead of the conventional heating by reflux in a nitrogen atmosphere for several hours. Appropriate starting materials were mixed with triethyl phosphite or triphenylphosphine and irradiated with microwaves for several minutes at a specific power to give the desired products. The indazoles were prepared by irradiating N-(2-nitrobenzylidene) anilines with triethyl phosphite at 200 W for 12-14 min to give 85-92% product yields. Irradiation of the mixture of N-benzylidene-2-nitroanilines and triphenylphosphine at 200 W for 3-5 min yielded 93-96% of the benzimidazoles. The carbonylindoles were obtained in 61-68% yields by irradiating 2-nitrochalcone or alkyl 2-nitrocinnamates and triphenylphosphine with microwaves at 80-200 W for 8-11 min. The mixture of 2-nitrobiphenyl and triphenylphosphine yielded 96% of carbazole when irradiated with microwaves at 200 W for 2 min while 75% of phenazine was obtained by irradiating the mixture of 2-nitrodiphenylamine and triphenylphosphine with microwaves at 200 W for 3.5 min. These results show that microwave-assisted Cadogan reactions gave better product yields at shorter reaction times.