Recent advances in the Biginelli dihydropyrimidine synthesis. New tricks from an old dog

In 1893, P. Biginelli reported the synthesis of functionalized 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones (DHPMs) via three-component condensation reaction of an aromatic aldehyde, urea, and ethyl acetoacetate. In the past decade, this long-neglected multicomponent reaction has experienced a remarkable revival, mainly due to the interesting pharmacological properties associated with this dihydropyrimidine scaffold. In this Account, we highlight recent developments in the Biginelli reaction in areas such as solid-phase synthesis, combinatorial chemistry, and natural product synthesis.