An Update on the Synthesis and Applications of Bis(Naphthoquinones): An Important Class of Molecules against Infectious Diseases and other Conditions

Abstract

Naphthoquinones are important molecules belonging to the general class of quinones, and many of these compounds have become drugs that are in the pharmaceutical market for the treatment of several diseases. A special subclass of compounds is that of the bis(naphthoquinones), which have two linked naphthoquinone units. In the last few years, several synthetic approaches toward such valuable compounds have been described, as well as their evaluation against numerous important biological targets. In this review, we provide a thorough discussion on the various synthetic methods reported for the synthesis of bis(naphthoquinone) analogues, also highlighting the biological activities of these substances.

Keywords: Biological activities; Infectious diseases.; Medicinal chemistry; Naphthalenedione; Quinone; Synthetic methods.