Glycerol transformation to pharmaceutically important aryloxypropanediols by microwave mediated synthesis

Abstract

Green chemistry, so-called sustainable chemistry, alerts the chemist to design processes that minimize the exercise and production of the unsafe substance. The current work deals with the one pot, facile and fast synthesis of bioactive, arlyoxypropanediols solvent-free reaction of glycerol with DEC and phenol was performed under modified microwave oven in presence of K2CO3. Reaction products were analyzed by GC and GC-MS. 3-phenoxy-1,2-propanediol and 1,3-diphenoxy-2-propanol were obtained as major and minor product. Reaction is found to be strictly chemoselective via transesterification of glycerol and DEC resulting in formation of in-situ cyclic carbonate. The simplicity, formability, and homogeneity of the reaction design under microwave heating were better than those prepared under conventional heating. The present investigation of glycerol conversion to aryloxypropanediols gives a clear insight into the effective use of glycerol towards pharmacologically important fine chemical. Thus microwave synthesis proved to be efficient, by faster reaction rate with high yield, with desired products and low energy consumption. In addition application of microwave mediated synthetic procedures for synthesis of pharmacologically active aryloxypropanediols will be boon towards industrial application.