Recent advances in cyclization reactions of ortho-substituted gem-dibromoolefins

Abstract

The preparation of cyclic compounds has received a significant amount of attention, because of their extensive presence in natural products, bioactive molecules, and materials science. Accordingly, the straightforward design and synthesis of cyclic compounds using readily accessible starting materials and reagents are among the main targets of synthetic chemists. In this regard, transformations involving ortho-substituted gem-dibromoolefins as good building blocks are recognized as powerful and efficient approaches for one-pot synthesis of cyclic compounds. This review focuses on approaches involving ortho-substituted gem-dibromoolefins that have been developed over the past two decades for the synthesis of cyclic compounds via both transition metal-catalyzed and metal-free cyclization methods.