Recent Advances in the Synthesis of Fused Heterocyclic Compounds and Their Antitumor Activities

The unique physicochemical properties invest fused heterocyclic compounds with wide applications in the synthesis of natural products, drugs, superconducting materials, energy storage materials, polymer materials, organic dyes, etc. In recent years, the rapid development of transition metal-catalyzed reactions of unsaturated hydrocarbons has developed rapidly. Owing to the advantages of high step- and atom-economy, easy availability of raw starting materials, and efficient construction of carbon-carbon bonds or/and carbon-hetero bonds, it is a vital way to synthesize fused heterocyclic compounds. Herein, the recent progress on the reaction development of transition metal-catalyzed cyclizations involving unsaturated hydrocarbons for the synthesis of fused heterocyclic compounds including benzofurans, indoles, quinolines in the last five years has been summarized, as well as their applications in the field of medicinal chemistry with antitumor activities.