Applications of Claisen condensations in total synthesis of natural products. An old reaction, a new perspective

The Claisen condensation involves the base-mediated reaction of an ester including α-hydrogen atom with a similar molecule to generate α,β-keto ester. In this review, we focused on the applications of the Claisen condensation in the total synthesis of natural products. The review covers the related literatures up to the beginning of 2021.