Green Oxidative Synthesis of Heterocyclic Compounds

This chapter covers selected reports on environmentally benign and operationally facile oxidative methods for the synthesis of various heterocyclic motifs reported in the past 10 years. The green chemical processes for construction of heterocyclic scaffolds with high atom economy and selectivity that feature cheaper and abundant catalysts like copper and iron salts, innocuous and easily available oxidants such as molecular oxygen, or peroxides were chosen. Cyclization/annulation via oxidative difunctionalization of alkenes provides an efficient method for the facile installation of two distinct functional groups across a C-C double bond, resulting in the synthesis of diverse heterocyclic scaffolds with varying molecular complexity. The protocols, especially those using molecular oxygen as the oxidant, have vastly obviated the necessity for strong oxidants and stoichiometric metal salts thereby boosting the operational ease and environmental appeal of new C-C and C-heteroatom bond formations.