Recent Progress for the Synthesis of Pyrrole Derivatives – An Update

Abstract

Pyrrole is a versatile heterocyclic moiety exhibiting a wide range of pharmacological actions with high therapeutic value. The importance of pyrrole in the pharmaceutical field lies in its versatility, selectivity, and biocompatibility, and these properties make it a valuable tool for drug design and development. The pyrrole moiety is a fundamental building block for many biologically active molecules and has gathered significant attention in the fields of medicinal and organic chemistry; hence, its synthesis has been a crucial area for research. There are various conventional as well as modern approaches to acquiring a series of pyrrole scaffolds, with a wide range of attractive features and drawbacks pertaining to each approach. An extensive amount of literature must be studied to compare the best synthetic routes. This article highlights the applications of pyrrole derivatives in various fields, such as drug discovery, material science, and catalysis, and provides an overview of modern synthetic pathways that include metals, nanomaterials, and complex heterogeneous catalysed methods for pyrrole derivatives. Special emphasis is given to the use of green chemistry principles like green solvent-based methods, microwave-aided methods, and solvent-free methods in the synthesis of pyrroles, with the recent developments and prospects in the synthetic and organic chemistry fields. Overall, this review article provides a comprehensive overview of the synthesis of pyrroles and complies with all the possible developments in the synthetic routes for pyrroles within 2015–2022. Among all, the reactions catalysed by proline, copper oxides, and oxones have been shown to be the most effective synthetic route for pyrrole derivatives at mild reaction conditions and with excellent yields. This information will be helpful for researchers interested in the development of new pyrrole-based compounds. The categorization in this review provides an easy means for the reader to rationally select the best possible synthetic method for pyrrole derivatives.