MULTICOMPONENT REACTIONS BASED ON <i>in situ</i> GENERATED ISOCYANIDES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF HETEROCYCLES

Abstract

Isocyanides have a long history, high versatility and have been used widely in various research fields, especially in multicomponent synthesis. Despite their many applications, isocyanides are strongly fetid, labile, and suspect of toxicity, thus researchers worldwide are hesitant to use them. The in situ generation and capturing synthetic protocols avoid environmental exposure and thus would be the sustainable alternative for the conventional use of isocyanides. This issue is consequently the main focus of the present review. The literature reports published in 2005–2020 are analyzed and categorized based on the class of heterocycles. The reaction conditions along with proposed mechanisms providing conventional approaches and novel elements are discussed aiming to deliver the readers an easy understanding of in situ versions of isocyanide-based multicomponent reactions and to provide insights for further investigations.