Since the middle of the last century, marine organisms have been identified as producers of chemically and biologically diverse secondary metabolites which have exerted various biological activities including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifouling and others. This review primarily focuses on the marine phenolic compounds and their derivatives with potent anticancer activity, isolated and/or modified in the last decade. Reports on the elucidation of their structures as well as biosynthetic studies and total synthesis are also covered. Presented phenolic compounds inhibited cancer cells proliferation or migration, at sub-micromolar or nanomolar concentrations (lamellarins D (37), M (38), K (39), aspergiolide B (41), fradimycin B (62), makulavamine J (66), mayamycin (69), N-acetyl-N-demethylmayamycin (70) or norhierridin B (75)). In addition, they exhibited anticancer properties by a diverse biological mechanism including induction of apoptosis or inhibition of cell migration and invasive potential. Finally, phlorotannins 1–7 and bromophenols 12–29 represent the most researched phenolic compounds, of which the former are recognized as protective agents against UVB or gamma radiation-induced skin damages. Finally, phenolic metabolites were assorted into six main classes: phlorotannins, bromophenols, flavonoids, coumarins, terpenophenolics, quinones and hydroquinones. The derivatives that could not be attributed to any of the above-mentioned classes were grouped in a separate class named miscellaneous compounds.

The organic carbamates and carbonates are highly desirable compounds that have found a wide range of applications in drug design, medicinal chemistry, material science, and the polymer industry. The development of new catalytic carbonate and carbamate forming reactions, which employ carbon dioxide as a cheap, green, abundant, and easily available reagent, would thus represent an ideal substitution for existing methods. In this review, the advancements in the catalytic conversion of allylic and propargylic alcohols and amines to corresponding five-membered cyclic carbonates and carbamates are summarized. Both the metal- and the organocatalyzed methods are reviewed, as well as the proposed mechanisms and key intermediates of the illustrated carbonate and carbamate forming reactions.