Thiochromone Synthesis and Biological Applications

Thiochromones represent a class of sulphur‐containing heterocycles characterised by a benzothiopyran‐4‐one core. Their unique electronic properties and synthetic versatility have attracted growing interest over the past decade. Synthetic strategies typically employ conjugate addition to activate the α,β-unsaturated carbonyl system, enabling installation of diverse substituents at C-2 and C-3 positions. Both metal‐catalysed methods, notably copper‐mediated and organocuprate additions, and metal‐free protocols such as visible‐light‐driven cyclisations, have been developed to access thiochroman-4-ones, thioflavanones and perfluoroalkylated derivatives. These scaffolds exhibit a broad spectrum of biological activities, including anticancer, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects, and serve as precursors for agrochemicals and functional materials. Recent work has focused on expanding functional group tolerance, improving reaction efficiency under mild conditions and exploring structure–activity relationships in medicinal chemistry. The global significance of thiochromones lies in their dual role as bioactive agents and as building blocks for advanced materials, underpinning both pharmaceutical innovation and emerging technologies in materials science.

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Thiochromone Synthesis and Biological Applications publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in thiochromone synthesis and biological applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Thiochromone: A bicyclic heterocycle consisting of a benzene ring fused to a thiopyran-4-one core.

1,4-Conjugate Addition: Nucleophilic attack at the β-carbon of an α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound, forming a new carbon–carbon bond.

Grignard Reagent: An organomagnesium halide (RMgX) widely used for nucleophilic addition to electrophilic centres.

Photocatalysis: Chemical transformation induced by light in the presence of a photocatalyst, enabling radical or ionic pathways under mild conditions.

Perfluoroalkylation: Introduction of a fully fluorinated alkyl group into an organic molecule, often to enhance metabolic stability and lipophilicity.

References

1. Conjugate Addition of Grignard Reagents to Thiochromones Catalyzed by Copper Salts: A Unified Approach to Both 2-Alkylthiochroman-4-One and Thioflavanone. Molecules (2020).
2. Visible-Light-Promoted Transition-Metal-Free Construction of 3-Perfluoroalkylated Thioflavones. Frontiers in Chemistry (2022).
3. Development of Conjugate Addition of Lithium Dialkylcuprates to Thiochromones: Synthesis of 2-Alkylthiochroman-4-ones and Additional Synthetic Applications. Molecules (2018).