Cascade C-N, C-O and C-S Bond Formation: Copper and Palladium Catalysed Synthesis of Heterocycle Arrays

The chemistry in this proposal involves the development of a series of cascade processes based on combinations of C-N, C-O, C-S and C-C coupling reactions, mediated by copper and palladium based catalysts, to deliver a variety of functionalised heterocyclic products. Significant variation of the heterocyclic core and the nature and position of the substituents will be possible employing what is essentially a single strategy. Although the individual reactions used to construct these cascades are well established, it is the ability to combine them in productive processes that will allow valuable drug-like molecules to be produced. Cascades of C-X bond forming reactions offer great potential for heterocycle synthesis as they the introduction of the functional groups and heteroatom combinations frequently encountered in drug-like molecules. Cascade sequences involving up to four bond forming processes will be used to prepare complex, drug-like molecules in a single step. A significant aspect of the chemistry involves demonstrating that it can be applied to array synthesis.