Nitroalkenes are one of the cheapest and versatile classes of compounds in organic synthesis and in the chemical industry.1 So far, the common synthetic methodologies of N-heterocycles were based on anilines as starting compounds. In comparison, the utilization of nitroalkenes for the synthesis of N-heterocyclic compounds can save at least one step. Thus, considerable attention has been paid to nitroalkenes as new potential amino sources.2 Significant progress has been made in the cycloaddition or reductive cyclization nitroalkenes to access various N-heterocycles in recent years.1a,3 Herein, we comprehensively report our synthetic methodologies in the construction of mainly five-membered N-heterocycles using nitroalkenes and amines/imines as potential amino sources. The presented synthetic procedures based on the one-pot C-C/C-N bonds formation with the subsequent elimination of the nitro moiety, however, as compared to the methodologies reported so far. Several substituted pyrroles, pyrazoles and tetrahydropyrrolo-oxazoles are synthesized via mild-conditions, one-pot, metal-catalyzed or metal-free green organic processes in alcoholic media

Dr. Ioannis Lykakis studied chemistry at the University of Crete (1997), Greece and after obtaining his Ph.D. from the same University in 2003 (supervision of Prof. M. Orfanopoulos), he did postdoctoral research at the CNR in Bologna, Italy, under Marie Curie Network fellow (supervision of Dr. C. Chatgilialoglu). In 2011 he was appointed the Department of Chemistry of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece, where he is currently full Professor. So far, he is the author of more than 90 publications in peer-reviewed journals and he has given more than 100 presentations in national and international conferences and meetings. His published work has received more than 3000 citations, and his h-index is 33 (Google scholar). So far, he has contributed to several book chapters and to scientific books as editor. He has been awarded by the Academy of Athens for the best research paper in the field of organic chemistry and awarded by the Empeirikeion Foundation of Athens for the financial support of his scientific research. His research interests are focused on Organic Synthesis, Catalysis, and Photocatalysis in Green Organic Synthetic Methodologies.