Catalytic application of zinc (II) bromide (ZnBr₂) in organic synthesis

Abstract

Catalyst is very important in chemistry science especially in organic synthesis, it can greatly promote the chemical processes and reactions, effectively and sustainably synthesize products. Zinc is a cheap and readily available metal (zinc is easily extracted from the minerals in high purity). Low toxicity, cheap and abundance and accessibility of zinc make it probably attractive for application in chemistry catalysis. Among zinc complexes, zinc (II) bromide (ZnBr₂) has been used widely as a catalyst in organic synthesis. In recent times, the application of ZnBr₂ as catalyst for the synthesis of organic compounds and heterocyclic molecules has been reported in the literature. Now, in this review, we focused on the catalytic activity of ZnBr₂ in a diverse range of organic reactions with the goal of stimulating further progresses in this field.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Catalysis
• catalytic activity
• heterocyclic molecules
• organic synthesis
• zinc (II) bromide