Aldehydes as powerful initiators for photochemical transformations

• Maria A. Theodoropoulou,
• Nikolaos F. Nikitas and
• Christoforos G. Kokotos

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 833–857, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.76

• proceeded efficiently for a wide range of substrates in moderate to excellent yield, including various alkyl halides 93, carbon tetrachloride, 2-norbornene, cyclic alkenes, a terminal disubstituted olefin, and a terminal alkyne. The reaction mechanism was thought to proceed via energy transfer from 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

• excellent E:Z ratios within the resulting alkenes. This methodology could be applied to a wide variety of compounds, including those containing heterocycles (176–178). In a later study [67], they found that by changing ligands, a dramatic switch in the selectivity could be induced in silyl additions to

• was obtained, e.g., when simple stilbene was used the reaction led to only traces of product 194 (Scheme 33). With benzoxazole-conjugated alkenes, upon treatment with catalytic Cu complexed by a nonracemic Josiphos ligand (L20), good chemical yields of the desired enantioenriched products 196–199

Cascade trifluoromethylthiolation and cyclization of N-[(3-aryl)propioloyl]indoles

• Ming-Xi Bi,
• Shuai Liu,
• Yangen Huang,
• Xiu-Hua Xu and
• Feng-Ling Qing

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 657–662, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.62

• the direct incorporation of the SCF3 group into organic compounds [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16], such as alkynes, alkenes, arenes, and alkanes. Despite these impressive advances, there is a continued strong demand for new methods that enable the efficient synthesis of SCF3-containing compounds

• construction of compounds with structural diversity and complexity. In 2014, Wang reported the first radical cascade trifluoromethylthiolation and cyclization of activated alkenes (Scheme 1a) [23]. Afterward, Nevado [24], Hopkinson and Glorius [25], Dagousset and Magnier [26], as well as Fu [27] applied this

KOt-Bu-promoted selective ring-opening N-alkylation of 2-oxazolines to access 2-aminoethyl acetates and N-substituted thiazolidinones

• Qiao Lin,
• Shiling Zhang and
• Bin Li

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 492–501, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.44

• coordination chemistry, and also valuable protecting or directing groups in catalysis [1][2][3]. 2-Oxazolines are a readily stable class of heterocycles resistant to a range of nucleophiles, bases, or radicals [4][5], which can be easily generated from amino alcohols and carboxylic acids, and from alkenes or

Recent advances in photocatalyzed reactions using well-defined copper(I) complexes

• Mingbing Zhong,
• Xavier Pannecoucke,
• Philippe Jubault and
• Thomas Poisson

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 451–481, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.42

• witnessed. 1.1 ATRA reactions Atom transfer radical addition reactions are linchpin transformations in organic synthesis as they allow an easy difunctionalization of alkenes. Usually, these reactions require the use of a radical initiator or thermal activation to initiate the radical chain. Recently

• ) photocatalyst (Scheme 1) [16]. The [Cu(I)(dap)2]Cl complex had a strong absorption under irradiation at 530 nm using a green LED. Different organic halides and alkenes were reacted, leading to the product by an ATRA reaction pathway with moderate to good yield at room temperature (Scheme 1). The authors

• (Scheme 2). Based on this work, in 2015, Reiser and co-workers reported another ATRA reaction to carry out the trifluoromethylchlorosulfonylation of alkenes (Scheme 3) [18]. They used the same catalyst as above, [Cu(I)(dap)2]Cl, to introduce the CF3 group to different alkenes under green LED irradiation

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

• . Single-electron oxidation can produce carbon-centered radicals from substrates such as amines [17], alkenes [18], and carboxylates [19], or by hydrogen-atom transfer to an oxidatively formed thiolate radical [20]. Single-electron reduction produces carbon-centered radicals from, for example, aryl

• , Kokotos and co-workers published a visible light photoredox catalyzed lactone formation from iodoacetic acid and alkenes [29] (Scheme 1). In addition, it has been shown that monochloroacetic acid can be reduced by hydrated electrons [30][31]. The group of Goez developed a strategy for the photoredox

• cyclopropanation. We have screened a series of strongly oxidizing photoredox catalysts and various alkenes, but unfortunately we were thus far unsuccessful in obtaining cyclopropane derivatives (see experimental section). Conclusion We have shown that it is possible to use monochloroacetic acid to form two types

Copper-promoted/copper-catalyzed trifluoromethylselenolation reactions

• Clément Ghiazza and
• Anis Tlili

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 305–316, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.30

• heterocycles with [(bpy)CuSeCF3]2 by the group of Weng. Difunctionalization of terminal alkenes and alkynes with [(bpy)CuSeCF3]2 by the group of Liang. Synthesis of Me4NSeCF3. Oxidative trifluoromethylselenolation of terminal alkynes and boronic acid derivatives with Me4NSeCF3 by the group of Rueping

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

• nucleophiles to electron-deficient alkenes (Michael acceptors) represents an efficient and attractive methodology for providing a wide range of relevant chiral molecules. In order to increase the attractiveness of this useful catalytic transformation, some Michael acceptors bearing challenging electron

• accomplished in this stimulating field. Keywords: acylimidazole; N-acyloxazolidinone; N-acylpyrrole; N-acylpyrrolidinone; aldehyde; amide; copper catalysis; electron-deficient alkenes; enantioselective conjugate addition; Michael acceptor; thioester; Introduction Generating high molecular complexity and

• controlling multiple stereogenic centers in a minimum number of steps is nowadays one of the most important challenges in organic chemistry for the synthesis of complex chiral molecules. The transition metal (TM)-catalyzed enantioselective conjugate addition (ECA) of nucleophiles to electron-deficient alkenes

The use of isoxazoline and isoxazole scaffolding in the design of novel thiourea and amide liquid-crystalline compounds

• Itamar L. Gonçalves,
• Rafaela R. da Rosa,
• Vera L. Eifler-Lima and
• Aloir A. Merlo

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 175–184, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.20

• , 8, 9, 12 and 13 were then prepared by [3 + 2]-1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile oxide (ArCNO) formed in situ from oximes and a number of alkenes as dipolarophiles, to yield the precursors of the cycloadducts isoxazolines 2, 7 and 11 regioselectively. The cycloadducts were subjected to SnCl2

Synthesis of 3-alkenylindoles through regioselective C–H alkenylation of indoles by a ruthenium nanocatalyst

• Abhijit Paul,
• Debnath Chatterjee,
• Srirupa Banerjee and
• Somnath Yadav

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 140–148, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.16

• following three categories: (i) by Wittig or Doebner reaction of indoles bearing a 3-aldehyde group; (ii) by 1,4- or 1,2-addition of α,β-enones or carbonyl compounds, followed by oxidation or elimination, respectively; (iii) by Pd-catalysed oxidative coupling of indoles with activated alkenes. Several

• Pd-catalysed Fujiwara–Moritani or oxidative dehydrogenative Heck reaction via dual C–H activation [21][22][23][24]. One of the early examples of this reaction, reported by Gaunt and co-workers, involved the regioselective, solvent-controlled C3 alkenylation of indoles with alkenes containing electron

• of indoles using Pd(OAc)2 and Pd(II)/polyoxometallate, respectively, as a catalyst and molecular oxygen as the oxidant [26][27]. Verma and co-workers used the reaction between indoles and alkenes in the presence of a Pd(OAc)2 catalyst, a Cu(OAc)2 oxidant, and a 2-(1-benzotriazolyl)pyridine ligand [28

[1,3]/[1,4]-Sulfur atom migration in β-hydroxyalkylphosphine sulfides

• Katarzyna Włodarczyk,
• Piotr Borowski and
• Marek Stankevič

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 88–105, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.11

• OH group, facilitated proton transfer from the γ- to β-carbon atom via a process similar to the elimination/electrophilic addition to alkenes pathway. The computational results discussed above showed that the crucial point for sulfur atom migration was the formation of a tertiary carbocation at the β

Extension of the 5-alkynyluridine side chain via C–C-bond formation in modified organometallic nucleosides using the Nicholas reaction

• Renata Kaczmarek,
• Dariusz Korczyński,
• James R. Green and
• Roman Dembinski

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 1–8, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.1

• diverse products via formation of C–C bonds. Nucleophiles as diverse as electron-rich arenes or heteroarenes [41][42], alkenes [43], allylmetalloids [44][45][46], enol derivatives [47][48], and organometallics [49] are suitable for the Nicholas reaction. Allenic byproducts are rarely seen, and

Construction of trisubstituted chromone skeletons carrying electron-withdrawing groups via PhIO-mediated dehydrogenation and its application to the synthesis of frutinone A

• Qiao Li,
• Chen Zhuang,
• Donghua Wang,
• Wei Zhang,
• Rongxuan Jia,
• Fengxia Sun,
• Yilin Zhang and
• Yunfei Du

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2958–2965, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.291

• ][76][77], converting alkynes and alkenes to ketones [78], oxidizing alcohols to aldehydes [79][80], as well as in the direct α-hydroxylation of ketones [81]. Furthermore, it could also be used to realize oxidative C–C [82], C–N [83], and C–O [84] bond formations. However, to the best of our knowledge

Bacterial terpene biosynthesis: challenges and opportunities for pathway engineering

• Eric J. N. Helfrich,
• Geng-Min Lin,
• Christopher A. Voigt and
• Jon Clardy

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2889–2906, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.283

• the leaving pyrophosphate group and the nucleophilic alkenes in proximity to initiate the C–C-bond forming, carbocation-mediated cascade reactions [10]. The hydrophobic binding pocket stabilizes the reaction intermediates and tames the propagation of carbocations through cation–π and other

A chiral self-sorting photoresponsive coordination cage based on overcrowded alkenes

• Constantin Stuckhardt,
• Diederik Roke,
• Wojciech Danowski,
• Edwin Otten,
• Sander J. Wezenberg and
• Ben L. Feringa

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2767–2773, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.268

• is essential for the application of SCCs towards chiral recognition and sensing [34][35][36][37]. To the best of our knowledge no self-sorted responsive SCCs have been reported so far. Molecular motors based on overcrowded alkenes are unique photoswitches that are able to undergo unidirectional

• explanation could be that the mixture of stable Z-1 and stable E-1 does not form separate well-defined cage structures, but forms mixed complexes. Conclusion In summary, a new photoresponsive supramolecular coordination complex based on overcrowded alkenes is presented, allowing switching between three

• photoswitching affords a large geometric change of the ligands, only minor changes were observed in binding constants of the different cage structures. These results show that by incorporation of overcrowded alkenes into SCCs the geometry of cage structures can be controlled by light. Different designs might be

A review of asymmetric synthetic organic electrochemistry and electrocatalysis: concepts, applications, recent developments and future directions

• Munmun Ghosh,
• Valmik S. Shinde and
• Magnus Rueping

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2710–2746, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.264

• developed an electrochemical approach for a Sharpless asymmetric dihydrohydroxylation of alkenes using an osmium complex [63]. In this protocol, the traditional chemical oxidant was replaced by an anode that regenerates [FeCN)6]3− via an Os(VIII) to Os(VI) interconversion. Similarly, Torri and co-workers

AgNTf₂-catalyzed formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition of ynamides with unprotected isoxazol-5-amines: efficient access to functionalized 5-amino-1H-pyrrole-3-carboxamide derivatives

• Ziping Cao,
• Jiekun Zhu,
• Li Liu,
• Yuanling Pang,
• Laijin Tian,
• Xuejun Sun and
• Xin Meng

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2623–2630, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.255

• tethered to cyclohexadienones that can be converted into complex polycycles by Ag-carbenoid-initiated cascades [16]. Recently, Zhu’s group developed a tandem 1,3‑dipolar cycloaddition/cyclopropanation silver-catalyzed reaction of enynals with alkenes [17]. In our previous studies, this silver carbene

1,5-Phosphonium betaines from N-triflylpropiolamides, triphenylphosphane, and active methylene compounds

• Vito A. Fiore,
• Chiara Freisler and
• Gerhard Maas

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2603–2611, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.253

• their isolation and structural characterization are still less common. A very convenient access to such betaines is provided by the nucleophilic addition of tertiary phosphanes to electron-deficient alkenes, alkynes and allenes (phospha-Michael addition), which generates the betaines as reactive

• . The 31P NMR chemical shifts were found between 19.26 (for Z-3f) and 30.23 ppm (for E-3l), the typical range being 23–27 ppm. As in other alkenes bearing a tetravalent phosphorus atom [29], the values of the E-isomers are always somewhat higher than those of the Z-isomers. Considering the question of

α,ß-Didehydrosuberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (DDSAHA) as precursor and possible analogue of the anticancer drug SAHA

• Shital K. Chattopadhyay,
• Subhankar Ghosh,
• Sarita Sarkar and
• Kakali Bhadra

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2524–2533, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.245

• derivative 11a [11]. Cross metathesis (CM) between a terminal alkene and an α,ß-unsaturated carbonyl compound (or similar electron-deficient alkenes) has been used to prepare functionalized alkenes in several occasions [18][19][20]. We have recently reported the CM of a terminal alkene with a hydroxamic acid

In search of visible-light photoresponsive peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) for reversible control of DNA hybridization

• Lei Zhang,
• Greta Linden and
• Olalla Vázquez

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2500–2508, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.243

• translation [24][25]. Except a handful of current examples [22][24][26], most of these photoresponsive oligonucleotides are canonical ones where the classical azobenzene is the prominently used photoswitch; although spiropyrans [27], stilbenes [28], diarylethanes [29] and overcrowded alkenes [30] have also

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 before 2011, and Besset [21] focused on the direct introduction of fluorinated groups into alkenes and alkynes. Then, Toste [1] covered advances in catalytic enantioselective fluorination, mono‑, di‑, and trifluoromethylation, and trifluoromethylthiolation reactions. Recently, Zhang [14] offered a

• formation of fluorinated products with an overall retention of the stereochemical configuration suggests a mechanism wherein a palladium-π-allyl intermediate undergoes a rapid π-σ-π isomerization. In 2013, the first example of an allylic C–H fluorination reaction of simple alkenes with Et3N·3HF as a

• this trifluoromethylation reaction. The difference between path A and path B is that the sequence of CF3 radicals and aryl- and vinylboronic acids is reversed. In addition, the CF3 radical is generated from the reaction of TBHP with NaSO2CF3. Copper-catalyzed trifluoromethylation of alkenes: The method

An overview of the cycloaddition chemistry of fulvenes and emerging applications

• Ellen Swan,
• Kirsten Platts and
• Anton Blencowe

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2113–2132, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.209

• fulvene to function as a 6π component in reactions with electron-deficient dienes (Scheme 5b) and fulvenes acting as dipolarophiles have been reported for enantioselective [6 + 3] and [3 + 2] cycloadditions [83][84][105]. In general, reactions with electron-rich alkenes will take place preferentially at

Synthesis of 1-azaspiro[4.4]nonan-1-oxyls via intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition

• Yulia V. Khoroshunova,
• Denis A. Morozov,
• Andrey I. Taratayko,
• Polina D. Gladkikh,
• Yuri I. Glazachev and
• Igor A. Kirilyuk

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2036–2042, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.200

• 7c. 1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of nitrones to alkenes is known to be reversible [13][14]. We recently reported a similar reversibility of the intramolecular cyclization of sterically hindered pent-4-enylnitrone of the 2H-imidazole series [15]. Treatment with Zn in an AcOH/EtOH/EDTA/Na2 mixture was

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

• , Institute of Molecular Sciences, UMR-CNRS 5255, 351 cours de la libération, Talence, 33405 Cedex, France 10.3762/bjoc.15.176 Abstract Four-component coupling reactions between xanthogenates, alkenes, CO, and sulfonyl oxime ethers were studied. In the presence of hexabutylditin, working as a propagating

• a single operation [1][2][3][4][5]. Needless to say, the contribution by radical chemistry is not trivial [5][6][7]. While alkenes and alkynes have served as efficient radical donor/acceptor type C2 synthons in multicomponent radical reactions, CO and isonitriles were shown to react as donor

• reaction using xanthogenates, alkenes, and sulfonyl oxime ethers (Scheme 1, reaction 1) [21][22]. The reaction proceeds efficiently to provide good yields of α-alkoxyimino esters, potential precursors of lactams, lactones and β-keto esters. Since the three-component radical reaction involving alkyl halides

The cyclopropylcarbinyl route to γ-silyl carbocations

• Xavier Creary

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 1769–1780, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.170

• formed from cations 54 and 74 and not from cations 24, 37, and 52, which do not have electron-withdrawing groups? Previous studies have shown that “electron-deficient” cations 9, where E = COR [66], CN [25], CF3 [67], and PO(OEt)2 [34], readily eliminate β-hydrogens to form alkenes as major products