Convenient synthesis and anti-proliferative activity of some benzochromenes and chromenotriazolopyrimidines under classical methods and phase transfer catalysis

A new series of benzochromene, benzochromenopyrimidine, and benzotriazolopyrimdine derivatives 3-10 were prepared via reaction of ethyl formimidate 2 with primary amines such as sulfanilamide, cyclohexylamine, 3-aminopyridine, 4-aminoantipyrine in addition to its reactions with different acid hydrazides. Compound 5 was further allowed to react with different C-electrophiles by classical and phase transfer catalysis conditions to get novel chromenotriazolopyrimidine derivatives. Screening of the antitumor activity in some of the newly synthesized compounds was tested in vitro against a panel of two human tumor cell lines namely HepG2 and HCT-116 cell lines. Compounds 4, 7, 8, 10, and 20 showed remarkable broad-spectrum antitumor activity.