Abstract

This review will focus on the ability of the 2-aminoimidazole to occupy a unique subset of chemical space which makes it an ideal pharmacophore for the development of small molecule collections for discovery based research. These observations rely both on the use of 2-aminoimidazoles as building blocks in medicinal chemistry as well as the recent discovery of alkaloids from sponges of the genus Leucetta which exhibit a diverse range of biological activities around a relatively limited structural core. The preparation of these compounds will also be highlighted.

Keywords: Review, 2-aminoimidazole, synthesis, biological activity, natural products, naamine, naamidine, isonaamine, isonaamidine, Leucetta, Calcarea