Syntheses of 3-[(Alkylamino)methylene]-6-methylpyridine-2,4(1H,3H)-diones, 3-Substituted 7-Methyl-2H-pyrano[3,2-c]pyridine-2,5(6H)-dione Fluorescence Probes, and Tetrahydro-1H,9H-2,10-dioxa-9-azaanthracen-1-ones.

Various condensation and ring-closing reactions were used for the syntheses of 3-[(alkylamino)methylene]-6-methylpyridine-2,4(1 H ,3 H )-diones, bicyclic pyridinones, and tricyclic morpholinopyrones. For instance, 3-[(dialkylamino)methylene]-6-methylpyridine-2,4(1 H ,3 H )-diones were synthesized from the condensation of dialkylamines and 3-formyl-4-hydroxy-6-methylpyridin-2(1 H )-one. 3-Formyl-4-hydroxy-6-methylpyridin-2(1 H )-one, derived from 3-formyl-4-hydroxy-6-methylpyridin-2(1 H )-one, was used to construct a number of bicyclic pyridinones via a one-pot Knoevenagal and intramolecular lactonization reaction. Tricyclic morpholinopyrones were assembled from a dialkylation reaction involving a dinucleophile, 3-amino-4-hydroxy-6-methyl-2 H -pyran-2-one, and a dielectrophile, trans -3,6-dibromocyclohexene. Depending on the reaction conditions, isomers of the tricyclic molecules can be selectively produced, and their chemical structures were unequivocally determined using single-crystal X-ray analyses and 2D COSY spectroscopy. The fluorescently active bicyclic pyridinone compounds show longer absorption (368–430 nm; maximum) and emission wavelengths (450–467 nm) than those of 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (AMC; λ abs,max = 350 nm; λ em = 430 nm) suggesting these molecules, such as 3-(2-aminoacetyl)-7-methyl-2 H -pyrano[3,2- c ]pyridine-2,5(6 H )-dione, can be employed as fluorescence activity based probes for tracing biological pathways.