Nitroketene ,-acetals: synergistic building blocks for the synthesis of heterocycles.

The development of novel heterocyclic compounds from simple and easily accessible starting components is of significant importance in medicinal chemistry. Due to the presence of active chromophores and potent pharmacological activities, nitroketene ,-acetals have emerged as a fascinating building block in organic synthesis. The synergistic skeleton of these acetals and the presence of electron-donating as well as electron-withdrawing groups lead to the generation of distinctive structural features and are highly useful for building diverse heterocyclic rings. This review highlights the preparation of different nitroketene ,-acetals and their applications in the synthesis of diverse heterocyclic compounds.