Recent advances in the syntheses of anthracene derivatives

• Giovanni S. Baviera and
• Paulo M. Donate

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 2028–2050, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.131

• ] cyclotrimerization reactions in the presence of nickel and cobalt catalysts [38]. First, they employed diyne 15 in the reaction with a series of alkynes (16) or nitriles (17) bearing a variety of functional groups including alkyl and alkene chains, hydroxy groups, and benzene and pyridine rings, to achieve the

• oxidative benzannulation reactions of 1-adamantoyl-1-naphthylamines with internal alkynes. Gold/bismuth-catalyzed cyclization of o-alkynyldiarylmethanes. [2 + 2 + 2] Cyclotrimerization reactions with alkynes/nitriles in the presence of nickel and cobalt catalysts. Cobalt-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2

One-step synthesis of imidazoles from Asmic (anisylsulfanylmethyl isocyanide)

• Louis G. Mueller,
• Allen Chao,
• Embarek AlWedi and
• Fraser F. Fleming

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 1499–1502, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.106

• a valuable route to mono- and disubstituted imidazoles. Keywords: Asmic; cyclization; imidazoles; isocyanides; nitriles; Introduction The imidazole core is the seventh most prevalent heterocycle among nitrogen-containing pharmaceuticals [1]. The privileged efficacy of imidazoles emanates from the

• contain an adjacent electron withdrawing group (1, R1 = EWG) [13]. Installation of an electron withdrawing group adjacent to an isocyanide facilitates the deprotonation but creates weak nucleophiles 2 that are insufficiently nucleophilic to react with nitriles [14]. Described below is the use of Asmic

• , anisylsulfanylmethylisocyanide (5) [15], whose deprotonation affords a potent nucleophile that reacts directly with nitriles to provide an efficient, general approach to an array of imidazoles; Asmic is a crystalline, virtually odorless isocyanide with the advantage over related methods [16][17] in being readily prepared in

A comprehensive review of flow chemistry techniques tailored to the flavours and fragrances industries

• Guido Gambacorta,
• James S. Sharley and
• Ian R. Baxendale

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 1181–1312, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.90

• F&F industry (Scheme 26). The transformation is generally used to form α,β-unsaturated acids or nitriles from condensation with aldehydes or ketones [146][147][148][149][150][151], however, there are also some examples where cyclic or tetra-substituted olefins are formed [152][153]. The high

Synthesis of (Z)-3-[amino(phenyl)methylidene]-1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-ones using an Eschenmoser coupling reaction

• Lukáš Marek,
• Lukáš Kolman,
• Jiří Váňa,
• Jan Svoboda and
• Jiří Hanusek

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 527–539, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.47

• nitriles, amides, amide acetals, and imidoesters [1][2][3][5][11][14] or from their independently prepared 3-chloromethylidene- [4][9][15][16][17], 3-hydroxymethylidene- or 3-(alkoxymethylidene)oxindoles [2][5][6][18][19][20] and the appropriate amines. Recently, original methods involving the construction

• ). Alternative electrophilic components for the Eschenmoser coupling reaction The Eschenmoser coupling reaction [36][37] usually starts from α-substituted ketones, esters, malonates, or nitriles. The group in the α-position must be a good leaving group enabling a facile nucleophilic substitution giving the α

Unexpected rearrangements and a novel synthesis of 1,1-dichloro-1-alkenones from 1,1,1-trifluoroalkanones with aluminium trichloride

• Beatrice Lansbergen,
• Catherine S. Meister and
• Michael C. McLeod

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 404–409, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.36

• formation of 1,1-dichloro-1-alkenones 6 from 1,1,1-trifluoroalkanones 5, which in turn are accessed by the Grignard addition of 1,1,1-trifluoroalkylmagnesium halides to nitriles (Figure 2b). It is worth noting that the 1,1,1-trifluoroalkyl halides (n = 1, 2, 3) are commercially available, whereas the

• . b) This work: a two-step synthesis of 1,1-dichloro-1-alkenones from nitriles via 1,1,1-trifluoroalkanones. The initial attempt for the conversion of 1,1,1-trifluoroalkanone 5a to 1,1-dichloroalkenone 6a. Substrate scope for the reaction of 1,1,1 trifluoroalkanones with AlCl3. aPurification (normal

The preparation and properties of 1,1-difluorocyclopropane derivatives

• Kymbat S. Adekenova,
• Peter B. Wyatt and
• Sergazy M. Adekenov

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 245–272, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.25

• nitrile hydratase–amidase-containing biocatalytic system and showed a high chemo-, regio-, and enantioselectivity in the hydrolysis of nitriles and dinitriles. The biocatalytic transformations of nitrile 81 (Scheme 33) supplied an effective route to optically active 2,2-difluorosubstituted 3

• -fluoropyrroles 142 (Scheme 62) [113]. The reaction involved the gem-difluorocyclopropyl ketones 143 and nitriles 144. It was proposed that the protonation of the ketone with triflic acid led to a partial ring opening of the gem-difluorocyclopropyl ketone to generate a carbocation-like center that was stabilized

Direct synthesis of anomeric tetrazolyl iminosugars from sugar-derived lactams

• Michał M. Więcław and
• Bartłomiej Furman

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 115–123, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.12

• azide addition to nitriles [45]. It is important to note that the computational investigation of this reaction mechanism was not a primary goal of this work. That said, we consider this simple, crude DFT research to support our model of the transformation described herein. Conclusion During the course

Recent developments in enantioselective photocatalysis

• Callum Prentice,
• James Morrisson,
• Andrew D. Smith and
• Eli Zysman-Colman

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 2363–2441, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.197

• ], electron-deficient arenes [24], and nitriles [25]. Additionally, Cozzi recently applied a novel aluminium-based photocatalyst 9 to this reaction, as an earth-abundant metal alternative albeit with slightly reduced enantioselectivities (8 examples, up to 96:4 er) [26]. Interestingly, as with some other

Activated carbon as catalyst support: precursors, preparation, modification and characterization

• Melanie Iwanow,
• Tobias Gärtner,
• Volker Sieber and
• Burkhard König

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 1188–1202, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.104

• N-containing functional groups on the surface of ammonia treated activated carbon samples such as bands of N–H stretching vibrations (3376–3294 cm−1), cyclic amides (1665–1641 cm−1), nitriles (2251–2265 cm−1) and pyridine-like functionalities (1334–1330 cm−1). Simultaneously, a diminished band at

Recent applications of porphyrins as photocatalysts in organic synthesis: batch and continuous flow approaches

• Rodrigo Costa e Silva,
• Luely Oliveira da Silva,
• Aloisio de Andrade Bartolomeu,
• Timothy John Brocksom and
• Kleber Thiago de Oliveira

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 917–955, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.83

• methodology (conditions A). However, when primary amines were used, the authors observed an oxidative coupling between the amines and their respective N-substituted imines, which were trapped with TMSCN to afford the corresponding nitriles. The authors solved this problem by cooling the reaction to −50 °C and

Photocatalytic deaminative benzylation and alkylation of tetrahydroisoquinolines with N-alkylpyrydinium salts

• David Schönbauer,
• Carlo Sambiagio,
• Timothy Noël and
• Michael Schnürch

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 809–817, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.74

• substituents had a negative effect on the efficiency of the transformation, independently of their electronic effects (Scheme 3, 21–25). Still, halides, nitriles, and ester substituents were tolerated, giving a possible handle for further manipulation. However, the presence of a nitro group impeded the

Recent advances in Cu-catalyzed C(sp³)–Si and C(sp³)–B bond formation

• Balaram S. Takale,
• Ruchita R. Thakore,
• Elham Etemadi-Davan and
• Bruce H. Lipshutz

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 691–737, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.67

• decade later, Molander et al. made use of the same disilane as a source of the nucleophile for additions to α,β-unsaturated alkenes and alkynes as Michael acceptors bearing sulfones, nitriles, cyano, amido, and carboxyl ester groups to form β-silylated alkanes and alkenes in good to moderate yields [55

Visible-light-induced addition of carboxymethanide to styrene from monochloroacetic acid

• Kaj M. van Vliet,
• Nicole S. van Leeuwen,
• Albert M. Brouwer and
• Bas de Bruin

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 398–408, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.38

• nitriles [21], carbonyl or imine species [22], iodonium or diazonium salts [23], or halide species [24]. The formation of radicals from halide species by photoredox catalysis has been widely studied. It has been applied as a mild method for the dehalogenation of several compounds [25][26][27]. In the light

Copper-catalyzed enantioselective conjugate addition of organometallic reagents to challenging Michael acceptors

• Delphine Pichon,
• Jennifer Morvan,
• Christophe Crévisy and
• Marc Mauduit

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 212–232, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.24

• , and Grignard reagents to Michael acceptors. In that respect, since the pioneering example reported by Alexakis and co-workers in 1993 [5], a wide range of cyclic and acyclic electron-deficient alkenes, such as α,β-unsaturated ketones, esters, nitriles, sulfones, or nitroolefines, was intensively

Microwave-assisted synthesis of 2-substituted 4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1,3-thiazepines from 4-aminobutanol

• María C. Mollo,
• Natalia B. Kilimciler,
• Juan A. Bisceglia and
• Liliana R. Orelli

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 32–38, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.5

• -toxic and environmentally safe. These reagents play a dual role, as they enhance the electrophilicity of nitriles, carbonyls and carbinols, and can also react irreversibly with water. Unlike PPA, a Brønsted acid incompatible with some acid-sensitive functionalities, PPE and PPSE are aprotic and mild

A green, economical synthesis of β-ketonitriles and trifunctionalized building blocks from esters and lactones

• Daniel P. Pienaar,
• Kamogelo R. Butsi,
• Amanda L. Rousseau and
• Dean Brady

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2930–2935, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.287

• therefore an excellent nucleophile and is usually generated from nitriles using metal amides or other strong bases [14][15]. Under our reaction conditions at rt, we propose that the presence of a catalytic amount of IPA increases the dielectric constant of the solvent as a whole, thereby increasing the

Functionalization of 4-bromobenzo[c][2,7]naphthyridine via regioselective direct ring metalation. A novel approach to analogues of pyridoacridine alkaloids

• Benedikt C. Melzer,
• Alois Plodek and
• Franz Bracher

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2304–2310, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.222

• to a pentacyclic ketone. A similar cyclization reaction was developed by our group some years ago for ester substrates [18], and an analogous cyclization of nitriles was described by Kristensen in ring-closing cascade reactions [34]. The new cyclization method was first tested with ester 20a

Recent advances in transition-metal-catalyzed incorporation of fluorine-containing groups

• Xiaowei Li,
• Xiaolin Shi,
• Xiangqian Li and
• Dayong Shi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2213–2270, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.218

• trifluoromethylation of aryl/heterocyclic chlorides with the CF3 source TESCF3 (TES, triethylsilyl), which proceeded following a classical Pd(0)/Pd(II) catalytic cycle (Scheme 62). Also, the reaction tolerates a variety of functional groups, such as esters, amides, ethers, nitriles, etc., and therefore provides a new

A metal-free approach for the synthesis of amides/esters with pyridinium salts of phenacyl bromides via oxidative C–C bond cleavage

• Kesari Lakshmi Manasa,
• Yellaiah Tangella,
• Namballa Hari Krishna and
• Mallika Alvala

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 1864–1871, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.182

• ], rearrangement of aldoximes [18], hydration of nitriles [19], dehydrogenative coupling of primary alcohols with amines [20][21] and hydration of organonitriles to amides [22][23][24]. However, these traditional methods have certain disadvantages such as generation of toxic chemical waste, involvement of tedious

Vicinal difunctionalization of alkenes by four-component radical cascade reaction of xanthogenates, alkenes, CO, and sulfonyl oxime ethers

• Shuhei Sumino,
• Takahide Fukuyama,
• Mika Sasano,
• Ilhyong Ryu,
• Antoine Jacquet,
• Frédéric Robert and
• Yannick Landais

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 1822–1828, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.176

• % yield, respectively. The conditions were shown to be compatible with the presence of nitriles, ethers and halogens. Alkenes having a tert-butyldimethylsilyl ether such as 6-siloxy-1-hexene 2c thus participated to the reaction to give 5e in 57% yield. Alkenes having a chlorine atom, as in 2d, were also

Recent advances on the transition-metal-catalyzed synthesis of imidazopyridines: an updated coverage

• Gagandeep Kour Reen,
• Ashok Kumar and
• Pratibha Sharma

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 1612–1704, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.165

• electrophilicity made lanthanides a catalyst of choice. Lanthanum complexes are widely used in synthetic chemistry for cycloadditions, reductions, benzimidazole syntheses, Biginelli reactions, hydrophosphinations of unsaturated substrates, double hydrophosphinylations of unactivated nitriles, Grignard additions, C

Host–guest interactions between p-sulfonatocalix[4]arene and p-sulfonatothiacalix[4]arene and group IA, IIA and f-block metal cations: a DFT/SMD study

• Valya K. Nikolova,
• Cristina V. Kirkova,
• Silvia E. Angelova and
• Todor M. Dudev

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 1321–1330, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.131

• selectivities; they have demonstrated excellent complex ability towards inorganic cations, organic ammonium cations, pyridinium guests, neutral molecules (alcohols, ketones, nitriles), dye molecules, etc. [26]. p-Sulfonatocalix[n]arenes are complexing agents for structurally diverse biologically active

Multicomponent reactions (MCRs): a useful access to the synthesis of benzo-fused γ-lactams

• Edorta Martínez de Marigorta,
• Jesús M. de Los Santos,
• Ana M. Ochoa de Retana,
• Javier Vicario and
• Francisco Palacios

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 1065–1085, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.104

• under these conditions and, in place of isoindolinones 53, isobenzofuranones were isolated. The method was extended to the corresponding acetophenone derivative 54 and, in this case, quaternary nitriles and carboxamides 55 were prepared in good yields (Scheme 15, method B). This Strecker approach has

• -component reaction with aryldiazonium tetrafluoroborates 68, DABCO·(SO2)2 (69) and nitriles 70 under Ru(IV) photocatalysis with visible light and in the presence of a Lewis acid (Scheme 21) [101]. Up to 24 isoindolinone derivatives were obtained, bearing a wide variety of aryl moieties at the sulfonyl group

• CO (23). Proposed mechanism for the palladium-catalysed synthesis of isoindoloquinazolinones 57. Four-component reaction of 2-vinylbenzoic acids 67, aryldioazonium tetrafluoroborates 68, DABCO·(SO2)2 (69) and nitriles 70. Plausible mechanism for the formation of isoindolinones 71. Three-component

The LANCA three-component reaction to highly substituted β-ketoenamides – versatile intermediates for the synthesis of functionalized pyridine, pyrimidine, oxazole and quinoxaline derivatives

• Tilman Lechel,
• Roopender Kumar,
• Mrinal K. Bera,
• Reinhold Zimmer and
• Hans-Ulrich Reissig

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 655–678, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.61

• Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur, PO-Botanic Garden, Howrah-711 103 (WB), India 10.3762/bjoc.15.61 Abstract The LANCA three-component reaction of lithiated alkoxyallenes LA, nitriles N and carboxylic acids CA leads to β-ketoenamides KE in good to excellent yields. The scope of this

• reaction is very broad and almost all types of nitriles and carboxylic acids have successfully been used. The alkoxy group introduced via the allene component is also variable and hence the subsequent transformation of this substituent into a hydroxy group can be performed under different conditions

• . Enantiopure nitriles or carboxylic acids can also be employed leading to chiral KE with high enantiopurity and dinitriles or dicarboxylic acids also lead to the expected bis-β-ketoenamides. β-Ketoenamides incorporate a unique combination of functional groups and hence a manifold of subsequent reactions to

Reactions of 3-(p-substituted-phenyl)-5-chloromethyl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles with KCN leading to acetonitriles and alkanes via a non-reductive decyanation pathway

• Akın Sağırlı and
• Yaşar Dürüst

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 3011–3017, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.280

• methods have been reported for the conversion of organic nitriles into the parent alkanes; such as oxidative decyanation [20], dehydrocyanation [21] and more commonly, reductive decyanation [22]. Among them, the reductive decyanation is a widely used method employing metal hydrides [23], electrolysis [24