Synthesis, anticancer activity and photophysical properties of novel substituted 2-oxo-2H-chromenylpyrazolecarboxylates

•A series of novel substituted 2-oxo-2H-chromenylpyrazolecarboxylates/phenylchromeno[4,3-c]pyrazol-4(1H)-ones were synthesized.•The anticancer activity was performed on three human cancer cell lines by using standard MTT assay method.•UV and fluorescence properties were discussed.

2-Oxo-2H-chromenylpyrazolecarboxylates (8a–h and 12a–zb) have been synthesized by [3 + 2] cycloaddition of 2H-chromenophenylhydrazones (7a–h and 11a–w) with diethyl/dimethylbut-2-ynedioates. Phenylchromeno[4,3-c]pyrazol-4(1H)-ones (13i–n) were prepared from corresponding phenylhydrazones (7a–h) with catalytic amount of piperidine in presence of pyridine as a solvent at 100 °C. All the synthesized compounds (8a–h, 12a–zb and 13a–n) were screened for anticancer activity against three human cancer cell lines such as prostate (DU-145), lung adenocarcinoma (A549), and cervical (HeLa) by standard MTT assay method. Further, photophysical properties (UV and fluorescence) for these compounds were discussed.

Graphical abstract[3 + 2] Cycloaddition of 2H-chromenophenylhydrazones with diethyl/dimethylbut-2-ynedioates afforded 2H-chromenylpyrazolecarboxylates/phenylchromenopyrazolones. All the compounds were screened for their anticancer activity, among these, compounds 8c and 12g were displayed very good anticancer activity.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide