Rotaxanes with integrated photoswitches: design principles, functional behavior, and emerging applications

• Jullyane Emi Matsushima,
• Khushbu,
• Zuliah Abdulsalam,
• Udyogi Navodya Kulathilaka Conthagamage and
• Víctor García-López

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2345–2366, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.179

• , temperature, and acid–base stimuli. Additionally, this spiropyran-based rotaxane showed pronounced photochromic and fluorescent behavior in both powder and solid film under alternating UV/sunlight and visible light/heating conditions, highlighting its suitability for dynamic optical systems and anti

C2 to C6 biobased carbonyl platforms for fine chemistry

• Jingjing Jiang,
• Muhammad Noman Haider Tariq,
• Florence Popowycz,
• Yanlong Gu and
• Yves Queneau

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2103–2172, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.165

• irradiation was proven to be thermally, chemically and sunlight stable. The esterification of trans-3-(2-furyl)acrylic acid with ethanol, provided (1α,2α,3β,4β)-2,4-di(furan-2-yl)cyclobutane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (CBDA-5) via a solvent-free [2 + 2] photodimerization from ethyl 2-furanacrylate and subsequent

Solar thermal fuels: azobenzene as a cyclic photon–heat transduction platform

• Jie Yan,
• Shaodong Sun,
• Minghao Wang and
• Si Wu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2036–2047, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.159

• visible light under sunlight irradiation [59], achieving a solar efficiency of 0.4% and a solid-state isomerization efficiency of 72.7% (Figure 5b). Feng and co-workers reported the synthesis of three azopyridine polymers (ortho-, meta-, and para-) [60], with the m-azopyridine polymer exhibiting a

Oxetanes: formation, reactivity and total syntheses of natural products

• Peter Gabko,
• Martin Kalník and
• Maroš Bella

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1324–1373, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.101

• are their great versatility and atom economy. 1.3.1 Photocycloadditions: The first example of a [2 + 2] photocycloaddition was observed by Paternò in 1909 who reported oxetane formations from mixtures of tri- and tetrasubstituted alkenes with carbonyls exposed to sunlight [58]. More than 40 years

Recent advances in synthetic approaches for bioactive cinnamic acid derivatives

• Betty A. Kustiana,
• Galuh Widiyarti and
• Teni Ernawati

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1031–1086, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.85

• ion 105 formation via its reaction with acetonitrile. Kokotos and co-workers (2023) prepared Weinreb amide 107 mediated by sunlight or LED 370 nm from cinnamic acid (7) via light-activated DMAP 108, leading to electrophilic iminium 109 formation (Scheme 33) [28]. On the other hand, Gilmour and co

Synthesis and photoinduced switching properties of C₇-heteroatom containing push–pull norbornadiene derivatives

• Daniel Krappmann and
• Andreas Hirsch

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 807–816, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.64

• molecular solar thermal (MOST) systems [2]. These systems operate on the principle of converting an energy-lean isomer into an energy-rich form by irradiating it with sunlight, effectively storing energy in the form of chemical strain energy [3]. On demand, by application of an external stimulus such as

Red light excitation: illuminating photocatalysis in a new spectrum

• Lucas Fortier,
• Corentin Lefebvre and
• Norbert Hoffmann

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 296–326, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.22

• minimal waste. The authors further showcased the robustness of the method by utilizing common kitchen equipment, mixing spinach extract with Baijiu (a traditional Chinese drink with a high level of ethanol) and stirring the reaction under sunlight, achieving yields as high as 60%. This demonstration

Advances in the use of metal-free tetrapyrrolic macrocycles as catalysts

• Mandeep K. Chahal

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 3085–3112, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.257

• by sunlight [99]. This marked the first application of these corroles as photoredox catalysts. They synthesized three free base corroles 98–100 featuring electron-withdrawing substituents at the meso-positions and tested them for the arylation of furan (75), thiophene (102), and N-Boc-pyrrole (103

• ) using substituted anilines 101 and t-BuONO (Figure 18). The reactions were conducted under light irradiation (blue light/sunlight) for 30 minutes in DMSO within an inert atmosphere. All corroles demonstrated catalytic activity with only 0.5% loading, while control experiments without a catalyst or light

• yielded minimal to no product. Among all the catalysts, corrole 99 turned out to be particularly effective in C–H-arylations, demonstrating high tolerance for various functional groups and higher product yields under both blue and sunlight. The authors suggested a radical mechanism similar to that of

Extension of the π-system of monoaryl-substituted norbornadienes with acetylene bridges: influence on the photochemical conversion and storage of light energy

• Robin Schulte,
• Dustin Schade,
• Thomas Paululat,
• Till J. B. Zähringer,
• Christoph Kerzig and
• Heiko Ihmels

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 3061–3068, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.254

• sunlight. Furthermore, the photoisomerization quantum yield is very low and therefore not suitable for an application [7][8][14]. One promising way to overcome these disadvantages is the introduction of a donor–acceptor system at the norbornadiene double bonds, which has resulted in the development of new

• at 1.60–1.63 ppm, 1.69–1.71 ppm, 1.82–1.85 ppm, 2.07–2.11 ppm, and 2.21–2.25 ppm. Thus, it is possible to convert this monosubstituted norbornadiene efficiently into the corresponding quadricyclane with visible light, and thus also by sunlight. Unfortunately, the derivatives 1h and 1j–l,n could not

Visible-light-mediated flow protocol for Achmatowicz rearrangement

• Joachyutharayalu Oja,
• Sanjeev Kumar and
• Srihari Pabbaraja

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2493–2499, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.213

• ; photocatalyst; sunlight; Introduction The furan ring moiety is present in several natural products [1] and serves as a key precursor to 1,4-dicarbonyls [2], cyclopentanones [3], and carboxylic acids [4], in synthetic organic chemistry. Furfuryl alcohols, a family of 2-substituted furan molecules, are

• Information File 1). This reactor was then exposed to sunlight/handmade LED to carry out the Achmatowicz rearrangement reaction. To test the model reaction's feasibility, a stock solution containing ethyl 3-(furan-2-yl)-3-hydroxypropanoate (2a)/Ru(bpy)3Cl2·6H2O/K2S2O8/ACN (2 mL)/DMSO (2 mL)/H2O (4 mL) as a

• molar ratio of 1:1:0.005:70:54:408 was taken in one syringe and pumped to our fabricated photo-flow reactor (10 mL – PFR). The passing solution was then exposed to solar light (February to April sunlight in Hyderabad, India), to execute the Achmatowicz rearrangement, and a complete conversion was

Efficacy of radical reactions of isocyanides with heteroatom radicals in organic synthesis

• Akiya Ogawa and
• Yuki Yamamoto

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2114–2128, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.182

• , when using sunlight, which is an inexhaustible natural energy, it is expected to be the most environmentally friendly method. The homolysis of E–E upon visible light irradiation is induced by exciting one electron of the isolated electron pair on E to the anti-bonding orbital of the E–E-bond (σ

A fiber-optic spectroscopic setup for isomerization quantum yield determination

• Anouk Volker,
• Jorn D. Steen and
• Stefano Crespi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1684–1692, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.150

• ]. Among the different switches known in the literature, azobenzene is a textbook example of a photoswitch operating via a double bond isomerization mechanism, with the first reports of its trans-to-cis interconversion under direct sunlight dating back to the work of Hartley in 1937 [2]. Over the decades

Novel route to enhance the thermo-optical performance of bicyclic diene photoswitches for solar thermal batteries

• Akanksha Ashok Sangolkar,
• Rama Krishna Kadiyam and
• Ravinder Pawar

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1053–1068, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.93

• promising approaches for this purpose [8][9][10][11][12][13]. The MOST system employs a photoswitchable molecular couple for harvesting, conversion, and storage of solar energy [8][9][10][11][12][13]. Upon exposure to sunlight, a parent molecule undergoes photoexcitation which induces its chemical

Regioselective quinazoline C2 modifications through the azide–tetrazole tautomeric equilibrium

• Dāgs Dāvis Līpiņš,
• Andris Jeminejs,
• Una Ušacka,
• Anatoly Mishnev,
• Māris Turks and
• Irina Novosjolova

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 675–683, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.61

• product. Compounds 12 did not tolerate aqueous conditions or high temperatures and have also been observed to degrade under direct sunlight. Next, a stepwise one-pot approach was investigated to increase the overall yield (Scheme 6). The reaction in anhydrous DMF yielded a mixture of the desired product

Synthesis of photo- and ionochromic N-acylated 2-(aminomethylene)benzo[b]thiophene-3(2Н)-ones with a terminal phenanthroline group

• Vladimir P. Rybalkin,
• Sofiya Yu. Zmeeva,
• Lidiya L. Popova,
• Irina V. Dubonosova,
• Olga Yu. Karlutova,
• Oleg P. Demidov,
• Alexander D. Dubonosov and
• Vladimir A. Bren

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 552–560, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.47

• change depending on the intensity of sunlight), photochromic tags for biological research and optical sensors [15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. To develop new dual-mode molecular switches capable of efficient modulation of optical and fluorescent properties, both upon irradiation with visible light and upon

(E,Z)-1,1,1,4,4,4-Hexafluorobut-2-enes: hydrofluoroolefins halogenation/dehydrohalogenation cascade to reach new fluorinated allene

• Nataliia V. Kirij,
• Andrey A. Filatov,
• Yurii L. Yagupolskii,
• Sheng Peng and
• Lee Sprague

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 452–459, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.40

• bromine in the same manner under the influence of ultraviolet irradiation or sunlight with the formation of 2,3-dibromo-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluorobutane (2) in 95% yield (Scheme 1). The only difference was that under UV irradiation, the reaction proceeded faster. In both cases, product 2 represented a mixture

• monochloride (ICl). We found that olefins 1a and 1b reacts with ICl under the influence of sunlight to form previously unknown 2-chloro-3-iodo-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluorobutane (5, Scheme 4). Pure final product 5 was isolated by distillation at 112 °C in 85% yield. NMR analysis as in the case of bromo derivative 2

• the possibility of using it to obtain another allene. We found that 2-chloro-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluorobut-2-enes (6a,b) react with bromine under the influence of sunlight with the formation of 2,3-dibromo-2-chloro-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluorobutane 16 in 84% yield (Scheme 12). As in the case of alkanes 2 and 5

Substitution reactions in the acenaphthene analog of quino[7,8-h]quinoline and an unusual synthesis of the corresponding acenaphthylenes by tele-elimination

• Ekaterina V. Kolupaeva,
• Narek A. Dzhangiryan,
• Alexander F. Pozharskii,
• Oleg P. Demidov and
• Valery A. Ozeryanskii

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 243–253, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.24

• sunlight (especially on adsorbents), and basic dipolar solvents (DMSO, for example, causes rather rapid degradation) [23]. Note that nitro derivatives 10 or 11 are not formed when base 5 is kept in nitric acid (25 °C, excess of 65% HNO3, 24 h) which returns the starting compound unchanged. After that step

Photochromic derivatives of indigo: historical overview of development, challenges and applications

• Gökhan Kaplan,
• Zeynel Seferoğlu and
• Daria V. Berdnikova

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 228–242, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.23

• the indigo derivatives (energy accumulation) and the follow-up catalytic or heat-triggered Z–E reaction (energy release). Another example of a patent is “Sunlight-energy-storing substances and sunlight-energy-storing method using the same”, published in 1983 by Matsushita Electric Industrial

Optimizing reaction conditions for the light-driven hydrogen evolution in a loop photoreactor

• Pengcheng Li,
• Daniel Kowalczyk,
• Johannes Liessem,
• Mohamed M. Elnagar,
• Dariusz Mitoraj,
• Radim Beranek and
• Dirk Ziegenbalg

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 74–91, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.9

• sources are one of the requirements for photocatalytic studies, as they directly influence the performance of photocatalytic reactions. While the ultimate goal is to utilize sunlight directly for photocatalytic hydrogen generation, the limited intensity of sunlight poses challenges [25]. Beside this

• , identifying photocatalysts capable of efficient performance across broad sunlight wavelength ranges proves to be a complex endeavor [26][27][28]. Therefore, artificial light sources are typically applied for lab testing of photocatalytic reactions. Compared to conventional light sources, light-emitting diodes

Radical chemistry in polymer science: an overview and recent advances

• Zixiao Wang,
• Feichen Cui,
• Yang Sui and
• Jiajun Yan

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1580–1603, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.116

• crosslinking of polymers. Polymeric materials may become brittle or colored after being exposed to sunlight for a long time, which was called 'photo-ageing' [134]. In fact, the light sensitivity of many polymers results from some impurities or additives remaining in polymer materials, which can form radical

Non-noble metal-catalyzed cross-dehydrogenation coupling (CDC) involving ether α-C(sp³)–H to construct C–C bonds

• Hui Yu and
• Feng Xu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1259–1288, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.94

• promote the sunlight-induced reaction and hydrogen transfer CDC of heteroaromatics and several H-donors (including ethers) under mild conditions (Scheme 42) [122]. There have been no previous reports using this catalyst for the alkylation of aromatics. Subsequently, various photocatalytic CDC

CO₂ complexation with cyclodextrins

• Cecilie Høgfeldt Jessen,
• Jesper Bendix,
• Theis Brock Nannestad,
• Heloisa Bordallo,
• Martin Jæger Pedersen,
• Christian Marcus Pedersen and
• Mikael Bols

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1021–1027, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.78

• ) in the Earth's atmosphere has increased significantly in recent decades [1][2] presumably due to human activity and the extensive burning of fossil fuels. With the ability of CO2 to absorb energy from sunlight [3], global warming and climate change is expected and serious consequences anticipated. To

Combining the best of both worlds: radical-based divergent total synthesis

• Kyriaki Gennaiou,
• Antonios Kelesidis,
• Maria Kourgiantaki and
• Alexandros L. Zografos

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1–26, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.1

• rationale, 94 was diverted to produce 100 after basic deprotection of the nonisolated 95. The radical oxidation of the former in the presence of dioxygen and sunlight or a catalytic amount of Mn(OAc)3 led to the creation of the compounds 101 and 102. FGI, followed by the cleavage of the hydroperoxide bond

Synthetic study toward tridachiapyrone B

• Morgan Cormier,
• Florian Hernvann and
• Michaël De Paolis

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 1741–1748, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.183

• electrocyclization of compounds 1a and b [19][20][21][22]. Interestingly, Baldwin and Moses demonstrated the irradiation or sunlight-promoted cycloisomerization of a similar tetraenyl framework into the bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane core through a 6π-conrotatory stereocontrol [23][24]. To date, the known strategies to

Borylated norbornadiene derivatives: Synthesis and application in Pd-catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions

• Robin Schulte and
• Heiko Ihmels

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 368–373, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.41

• because the parent system does not operate in the spectrum of the sunlight. Therefore, the efficient and purposeful functionalization of the norbornadiene scaffold is an important and challenging task in this field. Specifically, earlier approaches for the synthesis of norbornadiene derivatives are mainly