The preparation of (4H)-imidazol-4-ones and their application in the total synthesis of natural products.

(4H)-Imidazol-4-ones are an important scaffold for a variety of applications, including natural products, medicine, agriculture, and other applications. Over the years, there have been a number of preparations published for the synthesis of imidazol-4-ones. This review discusses the progress made on the synthesis of imidazol-4-ones, and their application towards the total synthesis of a range of imidazol-4-one containing natural products. Emphasis is made on areas of the field that still need progress.