title: Wanted: new multicomponent reactions for generating libraries of polycyclic natural products.
abstract: The amalgamation of two of combinatorial chemistry's most attractive concepts--natural product libraries and multicomponent reactions (MCRs)--should provide a powerful tactic for generating libraries of bioactive compounds. Yet, despite many recent advances in this area, only a few MCRs can deliver functionalized products whose structures closely resemble that of complex polycyclic natural products. A large proportion of recently developed MCRs are based on [4+2] or [3+2] cycloadditions, and isocyanide-based processes. Because of substrate limitations, however, they are not always ideally suitable for applications in diversity-oriented synthesis of natural product-like compounds. A promising area awaiting further development is the use of transition metal-catalyzed cascade reactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G2, Canada.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ulaczyk-Lesanko
authors.forename: Dennis G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D001688:Biological Products / Q000737:chemistry*; D020650:Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques; D003500:Cyclization; D015195:Drug Design; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds