PCl3-mediated synthesis of green/cyan fluorescent protein chromophores using amino acids

Abstract

Convenient synthesis involving aromatic amino acids, acetyl chlorides, and anilines in the presence of phosphorous trichloride has been established for the rapid synthesis of functionalized imidazolinones. With all the starting materials which are commercially available, low cost and stable, the construction of the target products has been accomplished via tandem transformations involving a key C–N coupling process, leading to the formation of two C(sp²)–N, one CN, and one CC bonds.