Chemical reactivity of 2-methylchromone with some nitrogen-based nucleophiles: reactions, DFT analysis, anticancer activity and molecular docking studies

ring opening followed by intramolecular cyclization. DFT calculations (B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p)) were performed to study the electronic and nonlinear optical properties of the present compounds. Compound 5 was found to be the most stable than compound 3 and compound 4, consistent with experimental results. Theoretical IR and NMR spectra agreed well with experimental data. The high hyperpolarizability values of the prepared compounds suggest potential nonlinear optical applications. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for anticancer activity against HepG-2 cells, revealing compound 9 as the most active derivative, with potency exceeding that of cisplatin. Molecular docking studies against CDK1 supported the observed biological activity, while drug-likeness analysis indicated favorable pharmacokinetic profiles. Overall, this work highlights the utility of 2-methylchromone with diverse nucleophiles in generating structurally varied heterocycles, validated by combined experimental and theoretical studies.