Abstract

The synthesis of a series of multifunctionalized 4,5-diarylpyridazines via inverse electron-demand Diels-Alder reaction between highly oxygenated diarylacetylenes and unsubstituted 1,2,4,5-tetrazine was developed using polyalkoxybenzenes isolated from industrial essential oils as starting material. The reaction proceeded smoothly to afford combretastatin A-4 analogues with pyridazine linker in consistently high yield. In a phenotypic sea urchin embryo assay, diarylpyridazine with 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl and 3-amino- 4-methoxyphenyl aryl rings was identified as a potent antimitotic microtubule-destabilizing compound.