Phenanthridinones are important heterocyclic frameworks present in a variety of complex natural products, pharmaceuticals and displaying wide range of pharmacological actions. Its structural importance has evoked a great deal of interest in the domains of organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry to develop new synthetic methodologies, as well as novel compounds of pharmaceutical interest. This review focuses on the synthesis of phenanthridinone scaffolds by employing aryl-aryl, N-aryl, and biaryl coupling reactions, decarboxylative amidations, and photocatalyzed reactions.
Keywords: 2-phenyl benzamides; C–C and C–N bond activation; C–H bond activation; N-methoxy benzamides; arynes; benzanilides; carbonylation; ketoximes and aldoximes; oxidation.