Homogeneous Catalysis: A Powerful Technology for the Modification of Important Biomolecules.

Homogeneous catalysis plays an important and ubiquitous role in the synthesis of simple and complex molecules, including drug compounds, natural products, and agrochemicals. In recent years, the wide-reaching importance of homogeneous catalysis has made it an indispensable tool for the modification of biomolecules, such as carbohydrates (sugars), amino acids, peptides, nucleosides, nucleotides, and steroids. Such a synthetic strategy offers several advantages, which have led to the development of new molecules of biological relevance at a rapid rate relative to the number of available synthetic methods.

Synthesis of Cu-catalysed quinazolinones using a C-H functionalisation/cyclisation strategy.

A series of 2,3-disubstituted-4(3H)-quinazolinones were synthesised via a copper-catalysed C-H functionalisation/cyclisation of 2-amino-N,N-dialkylbenzamides. In comparison to the reported methods this strategy allows an easy access to diversely substituted quinazolinones under mild conditions in air. The reaction also exhibits good functional group tolerance and would be of value to heterocyclic researchers as well as pharmaceutical process chemists.