Recent Advances in the Synthesis of Chalcones Containing Thiophene Moiety: A Review

Thiophene is an important class of heterocyclic compounds in organic chemistry. The unique framework of chalcone containing thiophene is associated with numerous encouraging biological properties such as antifungal, antibacterial, anti-oxidant, and antitubercular. Researchers have documented various approaches using diverse catalysts for the synthesis of chalcones bearing a thiophene moiety. Optimizing reaction conditions and catalysts has enhanced efficiency, but there are some issues, such as low yields, long reaction times, and harsh conditions, that continue to hinder sustainability and the efficiency of current synthetic methods. While conventional methods dominate the literature, green and environmentally friendly alternatives have received less consideration. So, research and development of enhanced methodologies for synthesizing thiophene chalcone are still in progress. Here, we review synthetic routes that are available to thiophene chalcone derivatives, such as the Claisen-Schmidt condensation reaction and Suzuki coupling reaction, without emphasizing green pathways. This review intends to elucidate the current progress in the synthesis of thiophene chalcones, with a specific focus on the most recent research articles published between 2015 and 2024.