2-Cyanobenzothiazole: a journey from darkness to stardom

Benzothiazole structures are widely present in many drugs and natural product molecules. A renewal of interest in 2-cyanobenzothiazole derivatives is mainly prompted by their noteworthy utility for bioimaging. Their reactivity stems from the presence of an electrophilic site, making them highly versatile and enabling a diversity of transformations. The increasing prominence of bioorthogonal chemistry has further elevated the importance of 2-cyanobenzothiazole, establishing it as a key building block in organic synthesis. In the present review, we highlight the huge interest in the synthesis of 2-cyanobenzothiazole as a stepping stone in the development of the biomedical research. A general overview of common methods as well as research progress in the synthetic approaches will be discussed.