Transition-metal catalysis targets

Controlled microwave heating is a new enabling tool that helps the medicinal and combinatorial chemist to rapidly both optimize reaction conditions and perform small-scale target syntheses. In this short review, we have presented examples of microwave heating in high-speed medicinal chemistry. More specifically, we have mainly described microwave-enhanced synthesis of protease inhibitors using transition-metal catalysis. In all depicted examples, the main chemical effort was directed towards convenient and reliable pro-... 

The use of organomagnesium reagents in synthesis has increased exponentially, and it has found applications in numerous fields of organic chemistry. The recent developments of transition metal catalysis and the need to prepare polyfiinctional target molecules bearing many functional groups led to renewed interest in organozinc... 

The search for new reactivity and new reactions is an important target in homogeneous catalysis. A declared goal is the selective activation of C-H bonds under mild conditions. Although there are numerous examples of stoichiometric C-H bond oxidative additions to transition metal centers, successful examples regarding catalytic functionalization of C-H bonds have been made only during the last five years. Notable advances have been achieved by Moore and coworkers who described in 1992 the ortAo-acylation of pyridine with olefins and carbon monoxide. The cluster compound triruthenium dodecacarbonyl has been used as catalyst (Scheme 10). 

Catalysis by metal-organic solids may also be applied to redox reactions. An especially intriguing target would be manipulation of hydrocarbon transformations. Many metal-organic networks so far reported in fact contain redox-active transition metals (Cu , Pd", Co" and so on). Metalloporphyrins are potential... 

Homogeneous catalysis has revolutionized the art of organic synthesis. It is now challenging to find a synthesis of any complex molecular target that does not rely on at least one, if not many, transition metal-mediated or catalyzed steps. Why have these transformations achieved such privileged status In many cases, metal-catalyzed reactions open avenues to new methods unknown in traditional organic chemistry or impart levels of selectivity, especially enanti-oselectivity, that allow more atom economical syntheses of many valuable products. 

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