Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Decarbonylative Functionalization of Phthalimides

Phthalimide derivatives are prevalent in a wide array of biologically important molecules, including drugs, fungicides, and anticancer molecules. Thus, catalytic methods that directly edit the phthalimide moiety, in particular, decarbonylation and derivatization, could be strategically valuable for the modification of existing phthalimide molecular scaffolds. In recent years, considerable efforts have been devoted to emulating the transition- metal-catalyzed phthalimide decarbonylative reaction. A set of elegant strategies, including decarbonylative addition reactions with alkynes, alkenes, and benzynes, decarbonylative polymerization, alkylation, arylation, and protodecarbonylation, have been demonstrated. This review aims to highlight these advances and discusses the mechanism issues, to further expand application and promote developments in this field. 1 Introduction 2 Decarbonylative Addition Reaction with Alkynes 3 Decarbonylative Addition Reaction with Alkenes 4 Decarbonylative Addition Reaction with Benzyne 5 Decarbonylative Polymerization 6 Decarbonylative Alkylation 7 Decarbonylative Arylation 8 Protodecarbonylation 9 Conclusion and Outlook

Automated summary

Phthalimide derivatives, commonly found in biologically important molecules, have attracted considerable attention for their potential applications in drug development, fungicides, and anticancer agents. This review focuses on recent advances in catalytic strategies for directly modifying the phthalimide moiety, including decarbonylation and derivatization reactions. Various decarbonylative addition reactions, polymerization, alkylation, arylation, and protodecarbonylation reactions have been demonstrated. The review also discusses the mechanisms involved and highlights the importance of further developments in this field.