New avenues for small heterocycles: Expanding the horizon of intra-/inter-molecular trapping of in situ generated transient 􀊍-alkyl-/vinyl-palladium(II) species.

Transition metal catalysis lies at the heart of modern innovative science. To expand this area in organic synthesis, the challenge is to identify novel strategies for the formation of organo-metallic intermediates under mild conditions, and to discover new methods for their subsequent  transformation. In this proposal we will focus on the trapping of transient C(sp3)- and C(sp2)-Pd species via C-H activation, or employing oxygen/nitrogen nucleophiles, to form a diverse range of useful molecular architectures. Moreover, the synthesis of some natural products and their analogues will be tackled. Small libraries of compounds will be generated, employing this challenging newly developed synthetic methodology, and they will be sent for in house (KU Leuven) screening for their possible biological activity.