Herein we describe the high yield synthesis of a highly crystalline cobalt(II) MOF with a novel zwitterionic ligand made up of 3,3′,4,4′-BPTC and 1,4-cyclohexanediamine, obtained in situ during the hydrothermal synthesis. The compound with the molecular formula C₄₆H₃₈N₄O₁₄Co·2H₂O has a molecular mass of 965.7783 g mol⁻¹, a triclinic crystalline system (a = 5.86 Å, b = 9.28 Å, c = 19.92 Å, α = 83.93°, β = 88.01°, γ = 78.59), it is thermally stable up to 300 °C and presents structural stability before and after removing the solvent molecules from its pores. This novel material showed catalytic properties in an electrophilic substitution reaction of indoles and aldehydes allowing the syntheses of bis(indolyl)methanes in high yields under mild reaction conditions and can be reused at least once with the same catalytic activity.

4-Organoselenium-quinolines were synthesized via model multi-component Povarov (MCR) reactions between p-anisidine, ethyl glyoxylate and ethynyl(phenyl)selane, catalyzed by the Lewis acid Yb(OTf)₃, with yields ranging from moderate to good. This method is advantageous in that there is no requirement for an oxidant and that the reaction has a wide scope. These 4-organoselenium-quinolines allowed access to 4-alkynyl-quinolines, which were synthesized via copper free Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions catalyzed by a new palladium catalyst that employs an oxazoline derivative as a ligand. A plausible mechanism was proposed based on HRMS studies.

Selenium propargylamines were synthesized via an A³-coupling approach using piperidine, p-methoxybenzaldehyde, and trimethylsilyl selenium–acetylene, catalyzed by copper(i) chloride and succinic acid as an additive, in good to excellent yields.

A novel class of potential herbicides, 3-indolylglycines were synthesized using an effective, green and rapid approach via multicomponent reaction (aza-Friedel-Crafts) between indoles, aldehydes and anilines in a water/sodium dodecyl sulfate system. The main advantages of this methodology are ease of handling, scalable to gram scale and a metal-free approach. The reaction is compatible with a variety of functional groups, obtaining the desired products in moderate to excellent yields. The biological activity of the 3-indolylglycines was evaluated, and it was found that these compounds interfere with the germination and radicle growth of Lactuca sativa, mainly the compound 4k.