Catalytic carbonylation for flavone synthesis: Advances and prospects. A mini-review

Flavones, with a C6-C3-C6 skeleton, are widely present in nature and many commonly used pharmaceuticals, exhibiting diverse biological activities and therapeutic potential. The significance and widespread application of flavones have sparked chemists’ interest in developing efficient synthesis methods. Traditional methods for the synthesis of flavones face challenges of inefficiency and impact. In recent years, various synthetic strategies have been established for the efficient construction of flavones. This review focuses on the catalytic carbonylative synthesis of flavones using carbon monoxide (CO) gas, CO surrogates, and CO
2
as carbonyl sources, an atom-economical approach aligning with green chemistry. It scrutinizes recent advancements, exploring reaction types, mechanisms, catalysts, and substrate scope, providing a foundation for future synthetic endeavors in organic and medicinal chemistry.