Thienyl chalcones: small molecules that play pivotal roles

The small molecules, in particular chalcones are regarded as buildingblocks for the construction of varied classes of biologically potent heterocycles such as pyrazoles, isoxazoles, triazoles, benzothiazepines, etc. The chalcones are basically derived from aromatic aldehydes and aromatic ketones; in which aromatic group may be a phenyl or heterocylic ring. In recent years, the heteroaryl, in particular thiophene ring containing chalcones have attracted the larger interest among the researchers all over the world, due to their diverse applications, viz., useful scaffolds in organic synthesis, bioactive nature in medicinal chemistry, and varied physicochemical properties. There has been a significant interest in recent years in developing simple, clean, non-toxic, cost-effective and eco-friendly procedures for the synthesis, and the exploration of these molecules to wide range of biological potencies. In this context, this review article presents the developments in the synthetic strategies for thienyl chalcones, their utility as synthons for preparation of bioactive molecules, pharmaceutical applications, and physico-chemical properties in the last ten years.