Eco-friendly Approaches to Chromene Derivatives: A Comprehensive Review of Green Synthesis Strategies

Abstract

Abstract: Synthetic routes of chromene are an area of thrust research due to its wide application as pigments, agrochemicals, cosmetics, and an important nucleus scaffold for various pharmaco-logically active drugs. The chromene nucleus is an important moiety for the discovery of new drug candidates owing to its broad range of pharmacological actions like antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and many others. However, traditional synthesis techniques frequently use unsafe reagents and produce hazardous waste, presenting environmental issues. The eco-friendly production of chromene derivatives utilizes sustainable raw materials, non-toxic cata-lysts, and gentle reaction conditions to reduce ecological consequences. Innovative methods like microwave irradiation, ultrasound synthesis, the use of environmentally friendly solvents, a cata-lyst-based approach with minimal environmental impact, and mechanochemistry-mediated syn-thesis are implemented. These approaches provide benefits in scalability, cost-effectiveness, and ease of purification. This review compiles and presents various recently reported green synthetic strategies of chromene and its derivatives and gives the reader a clear idea of the detailed and crit-ical aspects of various synthetic protocols described.