Multicatalysis: Advancing Synthetic Efficiency and Inspiring Discovery

Heavy reliance on iterative synthetic strategies represents one of the most serious drawbacks of modern organic synthesis. There has been increasing interest of late in the development of processes that attempt to alleviate this dependence by achieving multiple transformations in a single vessel, thereby circumventing the need for intermittent isolation and purification. One such strategy is encompassed by the term multicatalysis, an approach wherein multiple catalytic reactions are executed in a single flask, either in tandem or sequentially. In this Minireview, some recent efforts in the field of multicatalysis, including our own work, are discussed. In addition, a case regarding the need for consistent terminology in this rapidly developing field is advanced.