Cyclization by Intramolecular Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling-A Review

Ring systems of all sizes are frequent core or substructures in natural products and they are important elements of many drug molecules, as they often confer high binding affinity to and selectivity for disease-relevant biological targets. A uniform key transformation in the synthesis of such structures is the cyclization step. Among the various approaches that have been developed for ring closure, the intramolecular Suzuki-Miyaura reaction has emerged as a powerful option for the construction of normal- and medium-sized rings as well as macrocycles, due to its stereospecificity, the mild reaction conditions, and the non-toxic nature of the boron by-products. In this review, we summarize the state-of-the-art of the application of intramolecular Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions in the construction of (macro)cyclic frameworks of natural products and bioactive molecules of synthetic origin, covering (mostly) examples that have been reported since 2015. Target molecules prepared via intramolecular Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling as a key step range from natural products/natural product analogs to synthetic drug candidates, featuring ring sizes from 4 to ≫12. We highlight the utility, scope, and limitations of the reaction for different ring sizes and arrays of functional groups. Where possible, comparisons with other methods of cyclization are provided.