Advances in the self-organized total synthesis of natural products

Natural product total synthesis has trailblazed in the era of multistep synthesis. The strategic application of existing synthetic methodologies and the stepwise construction that revolves around newly developed, tailored key steps, are two basic tactics in the principle of classic retrosynthetic analysis. However, a new synthetic model, termed self-organized total synthesis, has emerged in recent years, enabling the rapid creation of specific natural products by a one-pot reaction. Distinct from conventional analysis associated with certain bond disconnections, the design of self-organized total synthesis focuses on seeking a series of self-organized reaction sequences which can be integrated compatibly under a uniform condition, therefore allowing the entire sequence to proceed in one pot, and most importantly, starting from commercially available feedstocks or biomass materials. Whilst dauntingly challenging, this synthetic strategy is more consistent with the biogenetic pathway of natural products compared with conventional counterparts, and will hopefully provide the shortest synthesis for such natural products. Through this rational analysis, one-pot total synthesis is no longer in the way of serendipity but can be precisely designed and manipulated. In this review, we account for the definition, delimitation, and categorization of self-organized total synthesis and then elucidate a comprehensive understanding of this synthetic strategy based on our intensive explorations. We also highlight the contributions of other research groups in this growing field and anticipate that it will give rise to advancing new methodologies, as well as new concepts within organic synthesis.