Sustainable Access to Acridin-9-(10)ones with an Embedded -Terphenyl Moiety Based on a Three-Component Reaction.

A Ce(IV)-catalyzed three-component reaction between chalcones, anilines and β-ketoesters followed by a microwave-assisted thermal cyclization afforded 1,3-diaryl-1,2-dihydroacridin-9(10)-ones. Their microwave irradiation in nitrobenzene, acting both as solvent and oxidant, afforded fully unsaturated 1,3-diarylacridin-9(10)-ones, which combine acridin-9-(10)one and -terphenyl moieties. Overall, the route generates three C-C and one C-N bond and has the advantage of requiring a single chromatographic separation.