Issue 23, 2026, Issue in Progress

Cobalt catalysis in organic synthesis: a powerful tool in the synthesis of natural products and pharmaceutically active compounds

Abstract

Cobalt-mediated catalysis has proven to be a potent and versatile method in the realm of present-day organic synthesis, facilitating the synthesis of biologically significant natural products and complex molecules. The field of natural product chemistry has always provided crucial advancements in the field of chemical science and pharmacology. Cobalt-mediated catalysis play a significant role towards the synthesis of biologically significant natural products, such as alkaloids, terpenoids, diterpenoids, polyketides, glycoside containing natural products, macrolides, as well as pharmaceutically active compounds such as nirmatrelvir, (S)-pazinaclone and MK-0371 etc. The present review focuses on the importance and applications of cobalt-mediated catalysis towards the synthesis of biologically significant natural products and pharmaceutical drugs, reported since 2018.

Graphical abstract: Cobalt catalysis in organic synthesis: a powerful tool in the synthesis of natural products and pharmaceutically active compounds

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Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
19 Jan 2026
Accepted
01 Apr 2026
First published
21 Apr 2026
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

RSC Adv., 2026,16, 20756-20796

Cobalt catalysis in organic synthesis: a powerful tool in the synthesis of natural products and pharmaceutically active compounds

I. Mehak, S. G. Khan, R. Noreen, S. M. Hussain, R. A. Al-Qawasmeh, M. Abbas, K. G. Ali, B. Parveen, R. Ashraf and A. F. Zahoor, RSC Adv., 2026, 16, 20756 DOI: 10.1039/D6RA00479B

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