Application of Donor–Acceptor Cyclopropanes in Total Synthesis of Natural Products

The strain-induced reactivity of the cyclopropane ring has been used for carrying out diverse synthetic transformations like ring-opening, 1,3-bifunctionalization, rearrangements, and cycloaddition reactions. Donor–acceptor (DA) cyclopropanes being among the most studied categories of cyclopropane chemistry, have also found application in the synthesis of diverse valued targets. A wide range of strategies use sequential or stepwise formation of a cyclopropane ring followed by its ring-opening, cycloaddition, or ring-opening cyclization techniques as key steps for the total synthesis of various natural products. Consequently, the DA reactivity of cyclopropane has been used in the construction of a number of alkaloids, terpenoids, and some other natural target molecules.