Abstract

Nitrogenated heterocycles take part in the structure of many natural products and agents with important biological activity, such as antiviral, antibiotic and antitumor drugs. For this reason, heterocyclic compounds are one of the most desired synthetic targets nowadays. In this review work, the literature related to the preparation of polyheterocyclic compounds by using the intramolecular Povarov reaction will be collected. The Povarov reaction is a process in which aromatic amines, carbonyl compounds and olefins or acetylenes participate to give rise to the formation of the nitrogenated compounds. Then, intramolecular Povarov reactions to carry out these syntheses are described according to the key processes involved; catalytic reactions with transition metals will be included discussing the reaction mechanisms and examining the effect of catalysts and solvents in the preparation of the products, thus reflecting the synthetic potential of this strategy. Moreover, applications of prepared compounds will also be considered.