Synthesis of heterocycles through multicomponent reactions in water

Abstract

Heterocyclic chemistry is one of the most important and fascinating branches of organic chemistry. It involves the study of compounds endowed with very high structural complexity and diversity and plays a pivotal role in any developed society as evident from the fact that pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, dyes and many other kinds of products are mostly heterocyclic in nature. Consequently, the preparation of heterocycles in an environmentally benign and synthetically efficient way is one of the main goals of modern organic synthesis. In this context, this chapter focuses on the combination of two green strategies, namely multicomponent reactions (MCRs) and the use of aqueous reaction media, for the construction of a wide variety of heterocyclic systems. These processes are of much current interest because they intertwine eco-friendliness with synthetic efficiency.