Versatile applications of 3-OxoGlycals: A review

3-Oxoglycals are versatile building blocks with extensive applications in glycochemistry, organic, and bio-organic sciences. They serve as powerful synthons, enabling the development of diverse organic structures. This review highlights the utility of easily obtainable 3-oxoglycals as fundamental building blocks for synthesizing various compounds, including rare sugars, N-inserted compounds, fused heterocycles, medium ring compounds, polycyclic molecules, cycloadducts, and axially chiral molecules. Some of these compounds exhibit significant biological activities, while others possess valuable photophysical properties. The simplicity of these reactions, using readily available starting materials under favorable conditions, makes 3-oxoglycals a valuable tool for creating novel molecules, benefiting the scientific community in various fields.