Copper Catalysis for Biologically Active N-Heterocycles

Abstract

N-Heterocycles are essential frameworks, mentioned in countless scientific works, that open a large gate into biologically active compounds; they are mentioned in medicinal chemistry as vital scaffolds. N-Heterocycles can be synthesized via many pathways, especially catalytic reactions that favor green chemistry principles. In catalytic approaches, copper has received special attention from scientists since it is more abundant than other metals, has lower toxicity, and can be handled easily. Copper-catalyzed cyclization reactions serve in many scientific fields, and these reactions resulting in N-heterocycles are of particular interest to the pharmaceutical industry, because many active medicinal ingredients can be synthesized using different copper catalysts. The importance of copper and its support in the synthesis of N-heterocycles was the impetus behind this chapter, and many examples are given of the synthesis of N-heterocycles in which copper catalysts were used. The presence of amine- and phosphine-based ligands for different selectivities, total synthesis using copper, synthesis of pharmaceutical products on gram scale, and biological activities of the mentioned N-heterocycles are all discussed in this chapter. © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.