A simplified synthetic route and study of anticancer activity of Ethyl 2-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-hydroxy-6- nitrobenzofuran-3-carboxylate and its methyl derivative

Preparation of a biologically active benzofuran derivative ethyl 2-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-hydroxy-6-nitro - benzofuran-3-carboxylate from commercially available starting materials 2- bromo-4-methoxy-phenol and para- fluorophenylacetylene is described in four steps with good yields. The final compound and all the intermediates reported in the method were characterized by spectroscopic techniques. Finally, the target molecule and its methyl derivative were tested for their anticancer activity and were found to be 95.2 μg/mL and 8.5 μg/mL (IC 50) respectively against HCT 116 cell line.