Synthesis and Optical Properties of N-Arylnaphtho- and Anthra[2,3-d]oxazol-2-amines

Oxazole, a versatile and significant heteroarene, serves as a bridge between synthetic organic chemistry and applications in the medicinal, pharmaceutical, and industrial fields. Polycyclic aromatic compounds with amino groups substituted at the 2-position of an oxazole, such as 2-aminonaphthoxazoles, are expected to be functional probes, but their synthetic methods are extremely limited. Herein, we describe electrochemical reactions of 3-amino-2-naphthol or 3-amino-2-anthracenol and isothiocyanates in DMSO, using a graphite electrode as an anode and a platinum electrode as a cathode in the presence of potassium iodide (KI), which afford N-arylnaphtho- and N-arylanthra[2,3-d]oxazol-2-amines via cyclodesulfurization. This reaction is the first example of synthesis of 2-aminoxazole-based polycyclic compounds using an electrochemical reaction. An examination of the spectroscopic properties of polycyclic oxazoles revealed that the λ_abs value of the tetracyclic oxazoles was redshifted relative to that of the tricyclic oxazoles. Moreover, synthesized naphthalene/anthracene-fused tricyclic and tetracyclic oxazoles exhibited extended π-conjugated skeletons and fluoresced in the 340-430 nm region in chloroform.