The introduction of Mannich and Biginelli multicomponent reactions in a practical Organic Chemistry course is presented in this article. Procedures described in the literature were adapted for use under the simple conditions available in undergraduate laboratories and were selected on the basis of Green Chemistry principles and practicality of synthesis. The reactions are easy to carry out and all products are readily isolated as crystalline solids with yields ranging from moderate to high.

In recent years, the introduction of the Green Chemistry concepts in undergraduate chemistry classes has been intensively pursued. In this regard, the two-step preparation of Epoxone (an organocatalyst developed by Shi & col.) from commercial D-fructose, through ketalization of vicinal diols followed by oxidation of a sterically congested secondary alcohol, involves important topics in Organic Chemistry and employs inexpensive and nontoxic reagents. The reactions are easy to perform and the products from both steps are readily obtained as crystalline solids after simple procedures, thus facilitating their chemical characterization.

This article surveys a selection of the most recent advances in aziridine synthesis. Novel synthetic methods and new insights into existing methodologies for the selective construction of the title compounds reported in the past decade are discussed in terms of synthetic applicability and environmentally benign conditions. Mechanisms involving stereoselective preparation of structurally diverse aziridines are also presented in order to highlight the most important issues associated with the synthesis of these versatile building blocks.