Synthetic Approaches Toward Diversely Substituted 1,2,2-triarylethanones

Abstract

Carbon-carbon bond formation is the essence of organic synthesis, and for that, many strategies have been developed to accomplish this goal. Several of these strategies are conducted to form diverse structures bearing the α,α-diarylcarbonyl motif, in the form of 1,2,2-triarylethanones, which are unities present in a number of natural products and biologically active compounds. These privileged carbonyl compounds have been used as building blocks or intermediates for the synthesis of dibenzo[a,c]phenanthridines, analogues of biologically active benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids, as well as useful synthons for Droloxifene and remarkably for Tamoxifen, the most widely used drug for the treatment of breast cancer. Focusing on the literature progress from 2000 to 2020 and considering the synthetic and biological value of the aforementioned carbonyl compounds, the present review explores the diverse metal-free, metal-mediated, C–H bond activation, α-monoarylation, α,α-diarylation, umpolung processes, Nheterocyclic carbene (NHC), and deoxygenation, among other synthetic approaches directed to the synthesis of 1,2,2-triarylethanone derivatives. Moreover, several of their mechanistic proposals are also briefly discussed in this review. In view that most of these strategies are accompanied by carbon-carbon bonds formation through ketonebased α-arylation processes, the reported data are organized into concise Tables/Schemes to facilitate comparison, and to underscore the key points of this review.