Enhancing chemical synthesis planning: automated quantum mechanics-based regioselectivity prediction for C–H activation with directing groups

• Julius Seumer,
• Nicolai Ree and
• Jan H. Jensen

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1171–1182, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.94

• activation, transforming these inert bonds into reactive carbon–transition metal (C–M) bonds. Subsequent transformations of these complexes enable the formation of an array of new functional groups, such as carbon–carbon and carbon–heteroatom bonds, underpinning a plethora of synthetic applications

Synthetic approach to borrelidin fragments: focus on key intermediates

• Yudhi Dwi Kurniawan,
• Zetryana Puteri Tachrim,
• Teni Ernawati,
• Faris Hermawan,
• Ima Nurasiyah and
• Muhammad Alfin Sulmantara

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1135–1160, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.91

• and deprotection steps, functional group transformations, stereocontrolled allylation, cross-metathesis, and Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons (HWE) olefination. This method highlights the power of catalytic stereocontrol, achieving the complex architecture of borrelidin fragments with efficiency and precision

Salen–scandium(III) complex-catalyzed asymmetric (3 + 2) annulation of aziridines and aldehydes

• Linqiang Wang and
• Jiaxi Xu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1087–1094, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.86

• [5] and the FDA-approved antibiotic linezolid [6] (Figure 1). Both chiral oxazolidines [7][8] and oxazolidinones [9][10] have been utilized as chiral auxiliary groups in many asymmetric organic transformations. Oxazolidine derivatives have been prepared mainly from condensation of vicinal amino

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

• relatively new prima donna of functional groups explored in drug design, were smoothly prepared. 2.4 Miscellaneous reactions Cyclopropenone, the smallest Hückel aromatic system, has been subjected to the ring opening reactions, driven by the release of ring strain. Numerous transformations of cyclopropenone

Pd-Catalyzed asymmetric allylic amination with isatin using a P,olefin-type chiral ligand with C–N bond axial chirality

• Natsume Akimoto,
• Kaho Takaya,
• Yoshio Kasashima,
• Kohei Watanabe,
• Yasushi Yoshida and
• Takashi Mino

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1018–1023, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.83

• Isatin is a well-known natural indole derivative. Due to the broad biological activities of its derivatives, extensive research has been conducted on their synthesis. Furthermore, the isatin framework is a versatile starting material for various transformations, including multicomponent reactions and the

Synthesis of pyrrolo[3,2-d]pyrimidine-2,4(3H)-diones by domino C–N coupling/hydroamination reactions

• Ruben Manuel Figueira de Abreu,
• Robin Tiedemann,
• Peter Ehlers and
• Peter Langer

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1010–1017, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.82

• efficient for related transformations [28][29]. However, only a yield of 15% of the desired product 4a was obtained after stirring for 15 hours, due to low conversion of the starting material. Subsequently, different mono- and bidentate ligands were tested. DPEphos was found to be the most potent ligand

Harnessing tethered nitreniums for diastereoselective amino-sulfonoxylation of alkenes

• Shyam Sathyamoorthi,
• Appasaheb K. Nirpal,
• Dnyaneshwar A. Gorve and
• Steven P. Kelley

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 947–954, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.78

• are operationally very simple and only use commercial I(III) reagents and sulfonic acids, amounting to a metal-free protocol for alkene amino-oxygenation. No special precautions need be taken to exclude air or ambient moisture, and the products are amenable to further transformations. Keywords

• trace of amino-alcohol product [34][35]. These transformations are likely difficult or even impossible in a single step with the products from our previously reported amino-trifluoroacetoxylation reaction, highlighting the utility of the present transformation. Conclusion In summary, we have developed a

• and only used commercial I(III) reagents and sulfonic acids. The products were quite stable in the reaction conditions and withstood standard purification protocols. No special precautions were taken to exclude air or ambient moisture, and the products were amenable to further transformations. We

Study of tribenzo[b,d,f]azepine as donor in D–A photocatalysts

• Katy Medrano-Uribe,
• Jorge Humbrías-Martín and
• Luca Dell’Amico

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 935–944, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.76

• power (E*red up to 1.5 V) can be classified as a bimodal photocatalyst. This type of molecule is capable of driving both oxidative and reductive reactions, thereby offering significant versatility to achieve photocatalytic transformations. To our delight, molecule 5a possesses a promising E*ox =−1.89 V

Silver(I) triflate-catalyzed post-Ugi synthesis of pyrazolodiazepines

• Muhammad Hasan,
• Anatoly A. Peshkov,
• Syed Anis Ali Shah,
• Andrey Belyaev,
• Chang-Keun Lim,
• Shunyi Wang and
• Vsevolod A. Peshkov

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 915–925, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.74

• isocyanides, followed by a silver(I) triflate-catalyzed intramolecular heteroannulation of the resulting pyrazole-tethered propargylamides occurring in a 7-endo-dig fashion. The approach is scalable and tolerates a diverse range of substitution patterns. Keywords: heterocycles; post-MCR transformations

• heterocyclic peptidomimetics through various post-MCR transformations [28][29][30][31][32]. The construction of benzodiazepine cores has also been extensively explored through various post-Ugi transformations. In 2009, Torroba and co-workers developed a strategy towards β-turn mimetic benzo[e][1,4]diazepines 6

• heteroannulation leading to the pyrazolo[1,5-a][1,4]diazepine scaffold. Our initial choice was to investigate the use of silver(I) triflate (AgOTf) as a catalyst in toluene, given its previously demonstrated efficiency in various transformations involving the activation of triple bonds towards nucleophilic attack

Recent advances in controllable/divergent synthesis

• Jilei Cao,
• Leiyang Bai and
• Xuefeng Jiang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 890–914, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.73

• control The precise regulation of product selectivity represents a fundamental challenge in transition-metal-catalyzed organic transformations, with significant implications for complex molecule synthesis. In this context, ligand-modulated divergent catalysis has emerged as a paradigm-shifting strategy

• enantiocontrol. Metal control Over the past decade, the relentless pursuit of precision in natural products and pharmaceutical synthesis has driven remarkable advances in catalytic methodologies, particularly in the realm of catalyst-controlled chemoselective transformations [11][25][26][27][28][29]. In 2023

• the critical role of reaction medium polarity in modulating reactive intermediates, offering a strategic lever to toggle between C–H functionalization and reductive manifolds in photochemical transformations. In 2024, the Cheng group developed a palladium/chiral norbornene (NBE)-catalyzed cyclization

Light-enabled intramolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition via photoactivation of simple alkenylboronic esters

• Lewis McGhie,
• Hannah M. Kortman,
• Jenna Rumpf,
• Peter H. Seeberger and
• John J. Molloy

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 854–863, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.69

• facilitated landmark organic transformations, such as the venerable Paternò–Büchi [6][7][8], Norrish–Yang [9][10][11], and enone–alkene cycloadditions [12][13][14], that proceed via the generation of a singlet or triplet diradical through the activation of an unsaturated bond [2][14]. While these seminal

• ). Pioneering studies have leveraged this platform with great effect, typically invoking π→π* transitions of conjugated alkenes to lower the bond order and generate a triplet diradical, primed for further reactivity. This key intermediate is pivotal in a plenum of synthetic transformations including geometric

• process (Figure 2B) [19]. In a bid to translate sensitization reaction probes to meaningful synthetic transformations, conventional intermolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions were initially trialled (Figure 3A). Preliminary reactions using styrene or methyl acrylate were unsuccessful, with no [2 + 2

Chitosan-supported CuI-catalyzed cascade reaction of 2-halobenzoic acids and amidines for the synthesis of quinazolinones

• Xuhong Zhao,
• Weishuang Li,
• Mengli Yang,
• Bojie Li,
• Yaoyao Zhang,
• Lizhen Huang and
• Lei Zhu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 839–844, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.67

• quinazolinones, and the wide application of the chitosan-supported copper catalyst in various organic transformations [19][20][21], the use of chitosan-supported copper for quinazolinone synthesis has not been reported. As part of our ongoing research interest in chitosan and chitosan-supported copper catalysts

• in organic transformations [22][23][24], we intended to investigate the use of chitosan-supported copper as a catalyst for the synthesis of quinazolinones from 2-halobenzoic acids and amidines under mild reaction conditions (Scheme 1c). Results and Discussion The initial reactions commenced with 2

Regioselective formal hydrocyanation of allenes: synthesis of β,γ-unsaturated nitriles with α-all-carbon quaternary centers

• Seeun Lim,
• Teresa Kim and
• Yunmi Lee

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 800–806, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.63

• conditions and shows broad applicability to di- and trisubstituted allenes. Its practicality is demonstrated through the gram-scale synthesis and functional group transformations of amines, amides, and lactams, emphasizing its versatility and synthetic significance. Keywords: α-quaternary nitrile; Cu

• remaining DIBAL-H and TsCN, ultimately yielding the cyanation product 5b in only 54%. The synthetic potential of the obtained β,γ-unsaturated nitriles featuring α-quaternary carbon centers was further illustrated using a series of transformations (Scheme 6). Nitrile 3q was hydrolyzed to amide 6 in a 90

New advances in asymmetric organocatalysis II

• Radovan Šebesta

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 766–769, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.60

• contributions in stereoselective organocatalytic transformations. The collection contains nine articles featuring various aspects of asymmetric organocatalysis. In the first contribution, Waser et al. examined how chiral phase-transfer catalysts promote β-selective additions of azlactones to allenoates. Maruoka

Recent advances in allylation of chiral secondary alkylcopper species

• Minjae Kim,
• Gwanggyun Kim,
• Doyoon Kim,
• Jun Hee Lee and
• Seung Hwan Cho

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 639–658, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.51

• transmetalation of organolithium and organoboron compounds, copper hydride catalysis, and enantiotopic-group-selective transformations of 1,1-diborylalkanes. Detailed mechanistic insights into stereochemical control and current challenges in this field are also discussed. Keywords: allylic substitution; chiral

• synthesis underscore the robustness and reliability of this copper-mediated transformation in creating stereochemically complex molecules. Mechanistic investigations revealed several key factors controlling the stereochemical outcome of these transformations. The extremely low temperature (−100 °C) during

• phosphate. The absolute stereochemistry of the products was found to be consistent with that of previously reported CuH-catalyzed transformations using (S,S)-Ph-BPE (L1) as the supporting ligand, suggesting a common mode of stereoinduction. In parallel, Hoveyda and co-workers demonstrated the first copper

Photocatalyzed elaboration of antibody-based bioconjugates

• Marine Le Stum,
• Eugénie Romero and
• Gary A. Molander

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 616–629, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.49

• proteins. By harnessing light to drive chemical transformations, photoredox techniques can facilitate the synthesis of antibody bioconjugates. This perspective will discuss the drive to develop and empower photoredox methods applied to antibody functionalization. Keywords: antibodies; bioconjugation

• expertise required to carry out these transformations is constrained to a very limited number of laboratories, particularly in the field of antibodies. Given the challenges of bioengineering antibodies with non-canonical amino acids, the direct and chemoselective modification of native antibodies is most

• transformations is a strong electrophile that can react with Tyr, for instance, if such an amino acid is located near the reactive site. In addition, command of the DAR might have some limits, as the distance between the catalyst and the mAbs is not well defined, meaning that the photoredox reaction might not

Formaldehyde surrogates in multicomponent reactions

• Cecilia I. Attorresi,
• Javier A. Ramírez and
• Bernhard Westermann

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 564–595, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.45

• presence of an excellent leaving group (methyl sulfide) which permits further transformations during the domino sequences. This dual effect of MMS makes DMSO an interesting C1 synthon that works not only as a source of a methylene unit (-CH2-) in terms of formaldehyde surrogate, but also as a promotor of

Study of the interaction of 2H-furo[3,2-b]pyran-2-ones with nitrogen-containing nucleophiles

• Constantine V. Milyutin,
• Andrey N. Komogortsev and
• Boris V. Lichitsky

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 556–563, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.44

• structures of key synthesized products were unambiguously proved by X-ray diffraction. Various examples of transformations of furanones. Interaction of starting 2H-furo[3,2-b]pyran-2-ones with diverse amines. Synthesis of enamines 4. Reaction conditions: 1a (1 mmol, 0.38 g), amine 2 (1.2 mmol), AcOH (3 mL

Photomechanochemistry: harnessing mechanical forces to enhance photochemical reactions

• Francesco Mele,
• Ana M. Constantin,
• Andrea Porcheddu,
• Raimondo Maggi,
• Giovanni Maestri,
• Nicola Della Ca’ and
• Luca Capaldo

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 458–472, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.33

• research. Keywords: light-mediated synthesis; mechanochemistry; photomechanochemistry; Introduction Light-mediated synthetic methodologies have significantly transformed contemporary organic chemistry by enabling a broad array of previously unattainable transformations [1]. In fact, the absorption of a

• transfer [13][14][15]. Regardless of the mechanistic details of the activation manifold, all photochemical reactions obey two laws: the Grotthuss–Draper and the Einstein–Stark laws [16]. The Grotthuss–Draper law dictates that only absorbed light can induce photochemical transformations within a system. In

• of organic solvents [34] required for light-mediated transformations including on- and in-water approaches [35][36][37], the use of supercritical CO2 as solvent [38], and the melting point depression strategy [39]. However, a more drastic option would be to remove the solvent: no solvent is the best

Electrochemical synthesis of cyclic biaryl λ³-bromanes from 2,2’-dibromobiphenyls

• Andrejs Savkins and
• Igors Sokolovs

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 451–457, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.32

• notable examples underscore the remarkable potential of cyclic diaryl λ3-bromanes in the development of efficient synthetic transformations. Cyclic diaryl λ3-bromanes 1 are typically synthesized using a method developed by Sandin and Hay in 1952 [11] that relies on the excellent nucleofugality of

Beyond symmetric self-assembly and effective molarity: unlocking functional enzyme mimics with robust organic cages

• Keith G. Andrews

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 421–443, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.30

• catalytically active sites but can promote chemical transformations has received significant attention, but it remains a synthetic challenge [27].” The vague term “confinement” is sometimes used as a catch-all explanation for the property changes that arise within a cavity environment, often in the context of

Identification and removal of a cryptic impurity in pomalidomide-PEG based PROTAC

• Bingnan Wang,
• Yong Lu and
• Chuo Chen

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 407–411, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.28

• pomalidomide or its close analogs, indicating that a side reaction unrelated to the SNAr of the fluoride has occurred. 1H NMR and MS analyses suggested that phthalimide 5 was the byproduct formed through this series of transformations. Supporting this hypothesis, analysis of the reaction intermediates

Synthesis, structure, ionochromic and cytotoxic properties of new 2-(indolin-2-yl)-1,3-tropolones

• Yurii A. Sayapin,
• Eugeny A. Gusakov,
• Inna O. Tupaeva,
• Alexander D. Dubonosov,
• Igor V. Dorogan,
• Valery V. Tkachev,
• Anna S. Goncharova,
• Gennady V. Shilov,
• Natalia S. Kuznetsova,
• Svetlana Y. Filippova,
• Tatyana A. Krasnikova,
• Yanis A. Boumber,
• Alexey Y. Maksimov,
• Sergey M. Aldoshin and
• Vladimir I. Minkin

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 358–368, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.26

• decrease to normal values of 1800–2000 cm−1, indicating a complete inhibition of the ESIPT process. These spectral transformations are usually caused by the formation of a strong N–H(O–H)···CN− (F−) hydrogen bond up to deprotonation [28]. Using the principle of “relay recognition” [29], we investigated the

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

• become a powerful approach for achieving sustainable chemical transformations, combining high efficiency with energy-saving, mild conditions. By harnessing the deeper penetration and selectivity of red and near-infrared light, this method minimizes the side reactions typical of higher-energy sources

• chemistry with significant potential in synthetic and biomedical fields. Keywords: green chemistry; medicinal chemistry; organic photochemistry; photocatalysis; red-light mediated transformations; Introduction Red-light-activated photocatalysis has recently gained significant interest as a tool for

• driving chemical transformations under mild and efficient conditions. The use of red and near-infrared light enables deeper penetration into reaction media, reducing the high-energy side reactions commonly triggered by UV or blue light. These features make red-light photocatalysis particularly

Oxidation of [3]naphthylenes to cations and dications converts local paratropicity into global diatropicity

• Abel Cárdenas,
• Zexin Jin,
• Yong Ni,
• Jishan Wu,
• Yan Xia,
• Francisco Javier Ramírez and
• Juan Casado

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 277–285, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.20

• , it has been very insightful to study the molecular transformations associated with the generation of cationic species in conjugated aromatic oligomers displaying one-dimensional π-electron delocalization [1]. Oligothiophenes [2] and oligo(para-phenylene vinylenes) [3] have been used as models of

• were generated using the continuous set of gauge transformations (CSGT) method, as implemented in the Gaussian 09 suite, and the AICD 2.0.0 program [34]. Chemical structures of heptacene, diindenoanthracene (DIAn), and the molecules of 1 and 2 studied in this work (TIPS: triisopropylsilyl, Mes: mesityl