Rapid synthesis of 4-arylchromenes from ortho-substituted alkynols: A versatile access to restricted isocombretastatin A-4 analogues as antitumor agents

•4-Arylchromenes 6, were synthesized efficiently from 4-chromanones and N-tosylhydrazones through Pd catalysis.•Chromene derivative 6s, display a nanomolar level of cytotoxicity against four human cancer cell lines (10–32 nM).•6s inhibit tubulin with a CI50 of 2.4 μM.•Docking studies indicate that 6s and isoCA-4 show a comparable binding mode on tubulin.

Potent anticancer 4-arylchromene agents 6, as restricted isoCA-4 analogues, were prepared with excellent yields by a rapid and versatile synthetic pathway. First, in the presence of PTSA in EtOH, a variety of arylalkynols 9 were transformed into substituted 4-chromanones 10 in a one pot procedure which include regioselective arylalkynols hydration, alcohol etherification, MOM-cleavage, and cyclization. Further palladium coupling reactions, using aryl halides and N-tosylhydrazones 11 gave access to a small library of functionalized 4-arylchromenes 6 with good yields. From this series of 4-arylchromenes, we have identified compound 6s which inhibit tubulin assembly at a micromolar level and demonstrate a remarkable nanomolar level of cytotoxicity against four human cancer cell lines. Docking studies showed that isoCA-4 and its restricted chromene analogue 6s adopt a similar positioning in the colchicine binding-site of tubulin.

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