Recent advances in cyclohydrocarbonylation reactions

This article describes recent advances in the cyclohydrocarbonylation reactions catalyzed by transition-metal complexes and their applications in organic synthesis as a review covering the relevant literature up to the middle of 2004. The reactions are categorized into four types, i.e., intramolecular amidocarbonylation reactions, intramolecular aminocarbonylation reactions, cyclohydrocarbonylation reactions involving carbon-nucleophiles, and other cyclohydrocarbonylation reactions. Cyclohydrocarbonylation reactions provide efficient routes to various monocyclic, bicyclic, and polycyclic compounds as a one-step cascade process or a one-pot process. Reaction mechanisms for these cascade processes are discussed as needed for clarification. The heterocyclic and carbocyclic compounds, thus obtained, can be further transformed to specific targets. Examples of such applications are also discussed.