Environmentally friendly one-pot two-step sequential synthesis of biological active curcumin analogues

In this study an efficient method to facilitate the sustainable synthesis of O -methyl dehydrozingerone dimer, and its monomer was developed. This one -pot two-step process involves O-methylation of phenolic compounds, using dimethyl carbonate as an alkylating green agent, followed by a Claisen Schmidt condensation in the presence of acetone under microwave irradiation without changing the nature of the base used for the entire synthetic process. The starting material vanillin dimer [6,6 '-dihydroxy-5,5 '-dimethoxy-[1,1 '-biphenyl]-3,3 '-dicarbalde- hyde], was prepared by an innovative high-speed oxidative coupling reaction.