Baylis-Hillman chemistry: novel organic transformations and applications

Abstract

Synthetic organic chemistry is one of the most rapidly developing, expanding and successful branches of science. Construction of carbon-carbon bonds and carbonhetero atom bonds is one of the most fundamental reactions in synthetic organic chemistry and hence represents a forefront of research in organic chemistry. More recently, the concepts of atom economy, selective (both stereo- and regio-) transformations and catalytic processes have become primary requirements for the development of synthetic organic chemistry to be one of the leading scientific disciplines. During the last fifteen years, synthetic organic chemistry has seen enormous growth, not only in terms of development of new methodologies for construction of carbon-carbon and carbon-hetero atom bonds but also in terms of development of new reagents, catalysts, strategies, transformations and technologies often involving the concepts of atom economy and selectivity. Though the arsenal of synthetic organic chemistry is now very rich in the sense that there are methods available to synthesize any molecule which was once thought to be difficult to prepare, the continuing sophistication in and ever changing scenario of synthetic organic chemistry requires and even demands the continuous evolution of synthetic methods that meet the requirements of atom economy and very high levels of selectivity. The Baylis-Hillman reaction is one such atom economy reaction, which has been nowadays recognized, as an useful and emerging reaction having enormous synthetic potential as a source for various stereoselective processes. This thesis deals with our efforts to expand the scope of the Baylis-Hillman reaction as an attractive source for organic transformations and consists of three chapters, i.e. 1) Introduction, 2) Objectives, Results and Discussion and 3) Experimental.