A facile synthetic route has been developed for the preparation of pyrrolizinone derivatives employing N-allyl imides as starting materials. The nucleophilic addition of a vinyl Grignard reagent/RCM/elimination sequence afforded pyrrolizinones in good yields and has been applied for the preparation of naturally occurring quinolactacide and marinamide.

A novel thiourea organocatalyst was rationally designed by altering a typical H-bonding pattern of thiourea derivatives and utilising the potential of the 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl motif to participate in the H-bond formation.

A short, efficient, and high-yielding synthesis of 4-aryl-2-aminopyridine derivatives has been developed. The route employs two palladium-catalyzed processes, the Suzuki reaction and the Buchwald–Hartwig amination, as the key steps. The same approach has been used for preparation of the corresponding quinoline derivatives. In addition, a brief study of biological properties showed the anticancer potential of these compounds.