Supramolecular Catalysts for Organic Synthesis: Preparation and Applications of Cyclodextrins and Calixarenes in C-C Cross-Coupling Reactions

Reactions that promote the formation of carbon-carbon bonds are of great importance in organic synthesis, since they transform available, relatively inexpensive, and small organic molecules into more complex ones. One of the main protocols used for these transformations are cross-coupling reactions, and due to their versatility and applications, several efforts have been devoted recently to developing catalysts for such reactions. Supramolecular chemistry has become a major player in this field and encompasses approaches that range from the synthesis of intricate complex architectures that may mimic enzymes, the slight structural modification of commercially available scaffolds, or even repurposing highly available materials such as agarose. This Review discusses the development of supramolecular catalysts for cross-coupling reactions, focusing mostly on the Suzuki, Heck and Sonogashira reactions promoted by such assemblies.

Automated summary

Reactions promoting carbon-carbon bond formation are crucial in organic synthesis, and cross-coupling reactions are commonly used for this purpose. Supramolecular chemistry has emerged as a significant player in this field, offering approaches such as complex structure synthesis, scaffold modification, and repurposing of available materials like agarose. This Review primarily focuses on the development of supramolecular catalysts for Suzuki, Heck, and Sonogashira reactions.