Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Decarbonylative Functionalization of Phthalimides

Abstract

AbstractPhthalimide derivatives are prevalent in a wide array of biologically important molecules, including drugs, fungicides, and anticancer molecules. Thus, catalytic methods that directly edit the phthalimide moiety, in particular, decarbonylation and derivatization, could be strategically valuable for the modification of existing phthalimide molecular scaffolds. In recent years, considerable efforts have been devoted to emulating the transition-metal-catalyzed phthalimide decarbonylative reaction. A set of elegant strategies, including decarbonylative addition reactions with alkynes, alkenes, and benzynes, decarbonylative polymerization, alkylation, arylation, and protodecarbonylation, have been demonstrated. This review aims to highlight these advances and discusses the mechanism issues, to further expand application and promote developments in this field.1 Introduction2 Decarbonylative Addition Reaction with Alkynes3 Decarbonylative Addition Reaction with Alkenes4 Decarbonylative Addition Reaction with Benzyne5 Decarbonylative Polymerization6 Decarbonylative Alkylation7 Decarbonylative Arylation8 Protodecarbonylation9 Conclusion and Outlook