Progress In Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Cyclization Of Carbodiimides

Carbodiimide is one of the most efficient precursors to the synthesis of N-containing molecules. Transition-metal-catalyzed cyclization of carbodiimides has become a powerful approach to heterocyclic products, and attracts considerable attention from synthetical and pharmaceutical chemists. The significant amount of documents that were published during the last years proves the importance of this approach in modern organic synthesis. The development of this field over last decade and some pioneering work are summarized. An array of synthetic methods for privileged heterocycles from carbodiimides are presented according to mechanically distinctive processes: cascade cyclization initiated by nucleophilic process, catalytic cyclization via the insertion of carbodiimides into metal-cycle intermediates and annulation of tethered carbodiimides with unsaturated systems.