Ammonium chloride catalysed one-pot multicomponent synthesis of 1,8-dioxo-octahydroxanthenes and N-aryl-1,8-dioxodecahydroacridines under solvent free conditions

A simple, straightforward and highly efficient protocol has been developed for the one-pot multicomponent synthesis of 1,8-dioxooctahydroxanthenes from the reaction of aromatic aldehydes and dimedone, and also N-aryl-1,8-dioxodecahydroacridines from aromatic aldehydes, dimedone and aromatic amines in excellent yields using ammonium chloride as a low-cost and non-toxic eco-friendly catalyst under solvent-free conditions. The salient features of the present protocol are the operational simplicity, clean reaction profiles, excellent yields, high atom-economy, relatively short reaction-time as well as the use of inexpensive and environmentally benign catalyst.