Multicomponent Reactions for the Synthesis of Bioactive Compounds: A Review

Abstract

Multicomponent reactions (MCRs) are composed of three or more reagents in which the final product has all or most of the carbon atoms from its starting materials. These reactions represent, in the medicinal chemistry context, great potential in the research for new bioactive compounds, since their products can present great structural complexity. The aim of this review is to present the main multicomponent reactions since the original report by Strecker in 1850 from nowadays, covering their evolution, highlighting their significance in the discovery of new bioactive compounds. The use of MCRs is, indeed, a growing field of interest in the synthesis of bioactive compounds and approved drugs, with several examples of commerciallyavailable drugs that are (or can be) obtained through these protocols.

Keywords: Multicomponent reactions; bioactive compounds; drug syntheses; heterocycles; large-scale synthetic protocol; medicinal chemistry.