Nitrogenated heterocycles take part in the structure of many natural products
and agents with important biological activity, such as antiviral, antibiotic and antitumor
drugs. For this reason, heterocyclic compounds are one of the most desired synthetic
targets nowadays. In this review work, the literature related to the preparation of
polyheterocyclic compounds by using the intramolecular Povarov reaction will be
collected. The Povarov reaction is a process in which aromatic amines, carbonyl
compounds and olefins or acetylenes participate to give rise to the formation of the
nitrogenated compounds. Then, intramolecular Povarov reactions to carry out these
syntheses are described according to the key processes involved; catalytic reactions
with transition metals will be included discussing the reaction mechanisms and
examining the effect of catalysts and solvents in the preparation of the products, thus
reflecting the synthetic potential of this strategy. Moreover, applications of prepared
compounds will also be considered.
Keywords: Aldimines, Aza-Diels-Alder Reaction, Brönsted and Lewis Acid Catalysis, Cycloaddition, Intramolecular Povarov Reaction, Nitrogen-containing Fuse Heterocycles.
