Molecular Diversity from N-phenylquinoneimine

Diversity-oriented synthesis (DOS) continues to grow as an important area in the disciplines of organic synthesis and chemical biology. One area that should benefit significantly from DOS is drug discovery. The existing chemical space can be expanded with new synthetic molecules, hoping to identify novel and better drug and probe molecules. Arguably, one of the most promising synthetic strategies for generating collections of small molecules by DOS involves the sequencing of multicomponent reactions (MCRs) with subsequent transformations, including cyclizations and refunctionalizations, that form new compounds with increased molecular complexity and diversity. Azaquinones are highly coloured compounds and constitute a core structure in several important natural products, some of which are key abiotic and biological compounds, which intercalate with DNA. New avenues for molecular sensors and ligands, for drug delivery, and controlled material growth have been provided through many of these hybrid material. Azaquinones can be used as building blocks to other useful synthetic compounds, and therefore represent a new frontier for the design and generation of molecular complexity.