A facile and convenient method for the synthesis of acridines and its derivatives was developed through one-pot, three-component condensation reaction of aromatic aldehydes, 5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione, aryl amines or ammonium acetates in the presence of a catalytic amount of cobalt-alanine metal complex using aqueous ethanol as a reaction medium is reported. The present described novel methodology offers several advantages over the traditional methods reported in the literature, such as mild reaction conditions, inexpensive catalyst, short reaction times, excellent yields of products, simplicity and easy workup are the advantages of this procedure.
Keywords: 1,8-Dioxodecahydroacridine; Ammonium acetate; Cobalt–alanine metal complex; Dimedone; Multi component reaction (MCR); One-pot synthesis.