Synthesis of Highly Strained Enediynes and Dienediynes

Enediynes continue to fascinate scientists working in various domains because of their structural complexity and fascinating biological mode of action. They represent a masterpiece of nature's ingenuity. Besides the warhead which is the enediyne moiety, these molecules are equipped with a locking device, a delivery system and a chemical trigger for activation. Upon triggering, the molecules become active and undergo a thermal rearrangement that was disclosed in the early '70 by Masamune and Bergman and commonly known as Bergman cyclization. The reaction is believed to precede through a diradical benzenoid species (a p-benzyne). This review describes the various strategies employed for the synthesis of highly strained enediynes and dienediynes, both naturally occurring and the designed ones.