The impact of copper chemistry on indole and benzo[b]furan synthesis in the last years has been extraordinary. Heterocycles are very important structural motifs due to their presence in natural products, drug discovery and chemical comodities. Therefore, the search of suitable methods for the synthesis of heterocycles is a very important topic nowadays.
Copper is a relatively cheap metal with great catalytic properties. Copper catalysis has received a great deal of attention in organic synthesis recently and and a variety of new practical and efficient methods based on copper-catalyzed reactions have been developed.
In this review, Sandro Cacchi and colleagues at University of Rome highlight the many methods for indole and benzofuran construction by copper catalysis that has been described in recent years.
‘We believe that this brief summary can provide the reader with a helpful overview of the copper chemistry in this area and can be of value to chemists planning the construction of specific indole and benzo[b]furan derivatives’
At the editorial office we also believe that the reader will find this review very constructive and informative. Read it here.
Copper catalysis in the construction of indole and benzo[b]furan rings
Sandro Cacchi, Giancarlo Fabrizi and Antonella Goggiamani
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2011, 9, 641-652
DOI: 10.1039/C0OB00501K
