Catalytic Applications of Copper Species in Organic Transformations: A Review

Abstract

            Copper a naturally occurring element is present in the earth's crust, in oceans, lakes, and rivers, from minute trace element levels through to rich mine deposits.  It is essential to life – plants, fish, animals and humans all need copper to function properly. Homogeneous copper catalyzed reactions are widely used for the construction of important organic molecules, including pharmaceuticals, commodity chemicals, and polymers. The development of copper catalysis has been used extensively in the formation of carbon–carbon and carbon–heteroatom bonds. This Review describes the recent advances in the fundamental chemistry and the catalytic applications of copper and its complexes in various synthetically useful organic transformations. Present review also provides a deeper mechanistic understanding of copper chemistry which may lead to the development of the improved copper catalysts for known chemical reactions and may also inspire novel copper-catalyzed organic transformations.