Skeletal Editing: Interconversion of Arenes and Heteroarenes

Skeletal editing involves making specific point-changes to the core of a molecule through selective insertion, deletion or exchange atoms. It thus represents potentially powerful strategy for step-economic modification complex substrates and is perfect complement methods such as C−H functionalization that target molecular periphery. Given their ubiquity in biologically active compounds, ability perform skeletal on – therefore interconvert between aromatic heterocycles especially valuable. This review summarizes both recent key historical examples applied interconversion rings; we anticipate it will serve highlight not only innovative enabling nature current methods, but also tremendous opportunities still exist field.