The present paper
discloses an ultrasonication strategy assisted
by molecular iodine as an environmentally benign catalyst leading
to the synthesis of pharmacologically significant imidazo[1,2-
a
]pyridine scaffolds. The molecular-iodine-catalyzed approach
for the synthesis of biologically active synthetic equivalents was
achieved through three-component coupling embracing 2-aminopyridine
derivatives, pertinent acetophenones, and dimedone in water medium
under aerobic conditions. The higher product yield (up to 96%) with
a miniature reaction time and modest catalyst loading as demonstrated
by higher ecological compatibility and sustainability factors are
fascinating features of this protocol. The structures of synthesized
compounds were accomplished through FT-IR,
1
H NMR,
13
C NMR, mass, and elemental analysis data. The virtual screening
of synthetic moieties was performed to ascertain the
in silico
selectivity and binding affinities against several biological targets.
Lipinski’s rules of five, ADMET, and TOPKAT descriptors were
used to evaluate the drug-likeness assets. Furthermore, a quantum
computational study was computed at the B3LYP/6-311G++(d,p) level
of theory to investigate the density functional theory-based chemical
reactivity parameters and HOMO–LUMO energy gap of the synthesized
derivatives. The present studies open the way for
in vitro
and
in vivo
testing of synthesized derivatives
as potent inhibitors with an improved pharmacological profile against
farnesyl diphosphate synthase, phosphodiesterase III, CXCR4, and GABAa
receptor agonists.