Transition-state aromaticity and its relationship with reactivity in pericyclic reactions

• Israel Fernández

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1613–1626, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.125

• diatropic (i.e., aromatic) ring current observed upon applying the anisotropy of the induced current density (ACID) method [78] or the delocalization observed with the EDDB method (see Figure 5 for the parent process involving the reaction between ethane and ethene). Typically, DGRTs involving C–H bonds are

• TS-aromaticity and the barrier heights. The origin of the computed decrease of the activation barrier in the CH3–OH to O=CH2 as compared to the analogous reaction involving ethane as hydrogen donor can be initially traced to different C–H vs O–H bond strengths. Indeed, we found that the total bond

• analysis (b) of the DGRT between ethane and formaldehyde (black lines) and the analogous process involving methanol (red lines) and projected onto the C···H bond-forming distance. AICD plots of the transition states associated with the Hopf cyclization reactions involving cis-hexa-1,3-diene-5-yne (a) and

Azide–alkyne cycloaddition (click) reaction in biomass-derived solvent Cyrene^TM under one-pot conditions

• Zoltán Medgyesi and
• László T. Mika

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1544–1551, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.117

• , a wide range of organic reactions, e.g., urea and amide formation [32][33], amide coupling [34], aldol condensation [35], C–H difluoromethylation [36], aromatic substitution [37], and MOFs synthesis [38] were demonstrated in CyreneTM. Very recently, Fasano and Citarella first reported a CuAAC

Heterologous biosynthesis of cotylenol and concise synthesis of fusicoccane diterpenoids

• Ye Yuan,
• Zhenhua Guan,
• Xue-Jie Zhang,
• Nanyu Yao,
• Wenling Yuan,
• Yonghui Zhang,
• Ying Ye and
• Zheng Xiang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1489–1495, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.111

• activity than cotylenin A in cell growth inhibition assays and less toxicity in single-agent treatments [27][28]. Recently, Jiang and Renata described a chemoenzymatic approach that combines the skeletal construction by chemical methods and enzymatic C–H oxidations [29]. The synthesis employs a catalytic

Copper catalysis: a constantly evolving field

• Elena Fernández and
• Jaesook Yun

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1477–1479, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.109

• straightforward reactions. Complementarily, the Review article by Jang and Kim provides a deep understanding of recent advances in the combination of electrochemistry and copper catalysis for various organic transformations [3]. Their contribution elaborates various C–H functionalizations, olefin additions

• -workers demonstrates that the efficient and green direct C–H amination of benzoxazoles can be catalyzed by copper chloride salts in acetonitrile in the absence of any acidic, basic, or oxidizing additives [8]. Both CuCl and CuCl2 were found to be extremely efficient in promoting the reactions, which

Microwave-enhanced additive-free C–H amination of benzoxazoles catalysed by supported copper

• Andrei Paraschiv,
• Valentina Maruzzo,
• Filippo Pettazzi,
• Stefano Magliocco,
• Paolo Inaudi,
• Daria Brambilla,
• Gloria Berlier,
• Giancarlo Cravotto and
• Katia Martina

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1462–1476, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.108

• offers wide-ranging potential for substrate expansion and the functionalisation of bioactive compounds. This study presents a green and efficient C–H amination, catalysed by CuCl and CuCl2, in acetonitrile without acidic, basic or oxidant additives that is accelerated by microwave (MW) irradiation and is

• , and the huge overall economic impact of these processes. Inspired by the logic behind cross-dehydrogenative C–C-coupling methods [15], the direct C–H amination has been developed as a more straightforward, economical and environmentally friendly reaction, compared to its counterparts (such as the

• classical Buchwald–Hartwig amination reaction [16] or the Ullman reaction [17][18]) which require pre-functionalisation steps and harsh conditions [19]. Many protocols for C–H aminations have been applied to heteroaromatic compounds, mainly 5-membered heteroarenes, and a great deal of attention has been

Advances in nitrogen-containing helicenes: synthesis, chiroptical properties, and optoelectronic applications

• Meng Qiu,
• Jing Du,
• Nai-Te Yao,
• Xin-Yue Wang and
• Han-Yuan Gong

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1422–1453, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.106

• stimuli-responsive chiral electrochromic materials. In the same year, You’s group developed a transition-metal-catalyzed C–H/C–H-type regioselective C3-arylation of benzothiophenes using molecular oxygen as the oxidant [79]. This strategy afforded the TADF-active compound 64a, which exhibits efficient

Reactions of acryl thioamides with iminoiodinanes as a one-step synthesis of N-sulfonyl-2,3-dihydro-1,2-thiazoles

• Vladimir G. Ilkin,
• Pavel S. Silaichev,
• Valeriy O. Filimonov,
• Tetyana V. Beryozkina,
• Margarita D. Likhacheva,
• Pavel A. Slepukhin,
• Wim Dehaen and
• Vasiliy A. Bakulev

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1397–1403, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.104

• involved in the formation of a weak intermolecular hydrogen bond of the C‒H···N≡C type with distances H(3)···N(3) 2.53(3) Å, C(3)···N(3) 3.436(4) Å and angle C(3)H(3)N(3) 157(2)° (symmetry transformation [1−x, 1−y, 1−z]). Conclusion Thus, we found that thioamides of acrylic acid easily interact with

• -hydrogen atoms. The H-atoms in C–H bonds are placed in the calculated positions and refined in the "rider" model in the isotropic approximation. CCDC 2401684 (3aa) contains the supplementary crystallographic data for this paper. These data can be obtained free of charge via https://www.ccdc.cam.ac.uk (or

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

• methods for oxetane synthesis, mainly due to its practicality and versatility. 1.1.1.1 Substitution of a leaving group: In 2017, Moody et al. developed a new route towards spiro-oxetanes 8 utilising a combination of 1,4-C–H insertion and Williamson etherification (Scheme 3) [38]. The methodology commences

• with alcohol C–H functionalisation, thus creating a unique synthetic strategy towards oxetane formation that avoids tedious multistep substrate preparations (Scheme 7) [42]. It can be initiated from simple, unactivated primary or secondary alcohols, tolerates various functional groups such as acetals

Recent advances in amidyl radical-mediated photocatalytic direct intermolecular hydrogen atom transfer

• Hao-Sen Wang,
• Lin Li,
• Xin Chen,
• Jian-Li Wu,
• Kai Sun,
• Xiao-Lan Chen,
• Ling-Bo Qu and
• Bing Yu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1306–1323, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.100

• transfer (HAT) in photocatalytic reactions. These radicals display exceptional selectivity and efficiency in abstracting hydrogen atoms from C–H, Si–H, B–H, and Ge–H, positioning them as invaluable tools in synthetic chemistry. This review summarizes the latest advancements in the photocatalyzed generation

• substrates. Keywords: amidyl radicals; C–H; HAT reagents; hydrogen-atom-transfer; late-stage functionalization; Introduction C–H bonds are the predominant chemical bonds in organic compounds, and their direct conversion can rapidly and efficiently increase the complexity and functionality of organic

• molecules. On the other hand, C–H bonds exhibit low reactivity due to their relatively high bond dissociation energy (BDE) (Figure 1a). Therefore, the direct functionalization of C–H bonds is extremely challenging [1][2][3][4][5]. In recent decades, transition-metal-catalyzed C–H bond functionalization

Recent advances and future challenges in the bottom-up synthesis of azulene-embedded nanographenes

• Bartłomiej Pigulski

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1272–1305, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.99

• counterparts. Moreover, the azulene-like electronic structure is preserved, leading PAHs 57a–d and 60 to display characteristic low-energy azulene absorption and anti-Kasha emission. Intramolecular C–H arylation: Various C–H arylation strategies have proven to be effective as the final step in the synthesis of

• azulene-embedded PAHs. This approach requires a halogen-functionalized precursor and typically employs a palladium catalyst. Dou and co-workers reported a last-stage intramolecular C–H arylation of substituted indenofluorenes 61 and 62 (Scheme 10) [57]. The palladium-catalysed reaction yielded fused

• ]. Interestingly, initial attempts to convert 65 into 66 using various procedures for the palladium-catalysed C–H activation were unsuccessful, even when conducted at elevated temperatures. However, treatment of 65 with KOH in refluxing quinoline successfully yielded the desired PAH 66, albeit in a modest 15

Recent advances in oxidative radical difunctionalization of N-arylacrylamides enabled by carbon radical reagents

• Jiangfei Chen,
• Yi-Lin Qu,
• Ming Yuan,
• Xiang-Mei Wu,
• Heng-Pei Jiang,
• Ying Fu and
• Shengrong Guo

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1207–1271, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.98

• primarily focused on substrates containing activated alkenes tethered within the molecular framework. N-Arylacrylamides were employed as model substrates, and a diverse range of functionalization reagents, including those with benzylic C–H bonds, C(sp3)–H bonds adjacent to heteroatoms, di

• activated alkenes involving benzylic C(sp3)–H bonds through a cascade cyclization process (Scheme 1) [2]. This organomediated approach can be facilitated by a catalytic amount of Lewis acid. Using DTBP as the oxidant and IrCl3 as the promoter, a range of benzylic C–H bonds in arylmethanes

• mechanism, control experiments were conducted. The addition of radical scavengers such as BHT and TEMPO significantly inhibited the reaction, confirming the involvement of a radical intermediate. Kinetic isotope effect (KIE) studies showed a KIE of 1.0, suggesting that C–H-bond cleavage was not the rate

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

• Julius Seumer Nicolai Ree Jan H. Jensen Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark 10.3762/bjoc.21.94 Abstract The mild and selective functionalization of carbon–hydrogen (C–H) bonds remains a pivotal challenge in organic synthesis, crucial for developing complex

• molecular architectures in pharmaceuticals, polymers, and agrochemicals. Despite advancements in directing group (DG) methodologies and computational approaches, predicting accurate regioselectivity in C–H activation poses significant difficulties due to the diversity and complexity of organic compounds

• . This study introduces a novel quantum mechanics-based computational workflow tailored for the regioselective prediction of C–H activation in the presence of DGs. Utilizing (semi-empirical) quantum calculations hierarchically, the workflow efficiently predicts outcomes by considering concerted

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

• to perform the carboxylation of alkenylpyrazole 194 to the corresponding cinnamic ester 195 catalyzed by Rh(III) via a pyrazole-directed oxidative addition of the alkenyl C–H (196) accompanied by CO2 insertion to give Rh(I) carboxylate intermediate 197 (Scheme 60A) [103]. A gram scale operation has

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

• 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

• accumulation of 51. Since 51 is highly stable and resistant to reaction with MeOH (k2R << k2S ≈ k1R), it can be obtained with high optical purity after an extended reaction time (10 hours) In 2023, Yang and Liang jointly reported a tetrasilane (ODCS)-based method for time-controlled, palladium-catalyzed C–H

• the σ-alkylpalladium intermediate Int-50. The intermediate Int-50 undergoes C–H activation to generate the spiro-palladacycle Int-51, which proceeds via two possible pathways: 1) Path a: oxidative addition/reductive elimination or 2) path b: transmetalation/reductive elimination giving rise to

Dicarboxylate recognition based on ultracycle hosts through cooperative hydrogen bonding and anion–π interactions

• Wen-Hui Mi,
• Teng-Yu Huang,
• Xu-Dong Wang,
• Yu-Fei Ao,
• Qi-Qiang Wang and
• De-Xian Wang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 884–889, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.72

• , while the glycol chains are oriented along the long axis in the opposite orientations. In packing mode, the submacrocycle units form close contacts through intermolecular hydrogen bonding, C–H···π, and lone pair–π interactions, resulting in a 1D linear assembly. Anion recognition With the functional

4-(1-Methylamino)ethylidene-1,5-disubstituted pyrrolidine-2,3-diones: synthesis, anti-inflammatory effect and in silico approaches

• Nguyen Tran Nguyen,
• Vo Viet Dai,
• Luc Van Meervelt,
• Do Thi Thao and
• Nguyen Minh Thong

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 817–829, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.65

• π–π stacking is observed in the crystal packing of the complexes, but only C–H···π interactions are present. Two C–H···O hydrogen bonds complete the interactions stabilizing the crystal packing (Figure S1 and Table S2 in Supporting Information File 1). Inhibitory activity of NO production It is

Recent advances in the electrochemical synthesis of organophosphorus compounds

• Babak Kaboudin,
• Milad Behroozi,
• Sepideh Sadighi and
• Fatemeh Asgharzadeh

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 770–797, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.61

• amides with electron-withdrawing or electron-donating groups on their aromatic ring, producing products with yields ranging from 51% to 82%. In 2023, Lei and co-workers [47] reported an electrochemical C–P bond formation via a coupling reaction of C–H bonds of alkynes, alkenes, and aryl compounds with

• on silver-catalyzed C–H phosphorylation revealed that variations in current intensity, frequency, and duty ratio influence product yield. To achieve optimal reactivity, the duty ratio must exceed 50%. Additionally, an analysis of silver deposition on carbon and platinum electrodes indicated that

• ferrocene and ruthenocene via coupling reaction. This method provides an efficient and versatile synthetic approach for producing phosphorylated metallocenes but also aids in interpreting the regioselectivity and reactivity of C−H functionalization in unsymmetric metallocenes. They used a platinum electrode

Origami with small molecules: exploiting the C–F bond as a conformational tool

• Patrick Ryan,
• Ramsha Iftikhar and
• Luke Hunter

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 680–716, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.54

• fluorine atoms into the structure. The C–F bond has certain fundamental characteristics that enable it to serve as an effective conformational tool (Figure 1) [2][3][4]. First, the C–F bond is quite short at only ≈1.35 Å (cf. ≈1.09 Å for C–H, or ≈1.43 Å for C–O). The short length of the C–F bond, and the

• polar C–F bonds at the end of an alkyl chain, is that the terminal C–H bond also becomes polarised. In the case of the difluoromethyl group, the terminal hydrogen bears a partial positive charge and is able to act as a H-bond donor (II, Figure 2). This can influence the conformation of the molecule if

• rotamers have different energies. When the C–F bonds are aligned gauche, the vacant σ* orbital of each C–F bond is able to mix with the filled σ orbital of an adjacent C–H bond, and this hyperconjugative interaction stabilises the gauche conformer (III, Figure 2). The anti conformer does not benefit from

Entry to 2-aminoprolines via electrochemical decarboxylative amidation of N‑acetylamino malonic acid monoesters

• Olesja Koleda,
• Janis Sadauskis,
• Darja Antonenko,
• Edvards Janis Treijs,
• Raivis Davis Steberis and
• Edgars Suna

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 630–638, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.50

• observed by LC–MS when the electrolysis was performed in 5:1 MeCN/D2O (Scheme 2, reaction 2). The considerably higher O–H bond dissociation energy (119 kcal/mol) [12] as compared to that of the C–H bond in MeCN (86 kcal/mol) [13] renders the hydrogen atom abstraction from water by a carbon-centered radical

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

• (DMF), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), or dioxane to achieve high yields. The assumed mechanism is initiated by activation of the C–H bond of the terminal alkyne by a metal catalyst. The resulting metal acetylide reacts with the imine/enamine through a nucleophilic addition. Because imines/enamines are

• . These are the basis for the AHA coupling: amine–haloalkane–alkyne coupling for the synthesis of propargylamines by the activation of both C–H and C–X bonds by metal catalysis (Scheme 20). In general, the activation of both CH and CX bonds is accomplished by homogeneous metal catalysis with CuCl being

• to the AAA coupling, except for iron, where the temperature must be increased to 100 °C. This can be explained in terms of the activation of both the C–H and C–X bonds by metal catalysis, which is not the case in AAA couplings, where only the C–H bond is activated, making the last step (nucleophilic

Unprecedented visible light-initiated topochemical [2 + 2] cycloaddition in a functionalized bimane dye

• Metodej Dvoracek,
• Brendan Twamley,
• Mathias O. Senge and
• Mikhail A. Filatov

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 500–509, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.37

• groups play a role by increasing the number of hydrogen bonds (C–H···O, 3.18(5)–3.62(6) Å) The intermolecular distances between the C–H groups and the chlorine atoms in Cl2B (A) are C13A–H13···Cl1A, 3.69(5), and C18A–H18C···Cl2A, 3.69(3) Å, indicating further molecular attraction [22]. A previously

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

• light and promote mass transfer. As understanding of the methodology advances, the development of more complex synthetic strategies, including C–H, C–C, and C–heteroatom-bond formation, is expected [79]. Moreover, we anticipate that the difference in photophysical properties between organic molecules in

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

• ]. Lattices can also contain defects, which may affect catalytic activity unpredictably [228]. Nonetheless, macroscale structures, like those that arise from the stacking in 2D COFs, can contribute to catalysis, for instance dense arrays of aligned C–H bonds can provide CH–π interactions in Diels–Alder

Dioxazolones as electrophilic amide sources in copper-catalyzed and -mediated transformations

• Seungmin Lee,
• Minsuk Kim,
• Hyewon Han and
• Jongwoo Son

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 200–216, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.12

• enantioselectivity. Furthermore, a lactam containing a quaternary carbon center (2g) was prepared. However, a lower enantioselectivity was observed for product 2h due to the similar steric environment of the two alkyl substituents. As shown in Figure 1, a catalytic cycle was proposed for the intramolecular C–H

Quantifying the ability of the CF₂H group as a hydrogen bond donor

• Matthew E. Paolella,
• Daniel S. Honeycutt,
• Bradley M. Lipka,
• Jacob M. Goldberg and
• Fang Wang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 189–199, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.11

• reveal the fundamental differences between the C–H bond and the O–H bond as HB donors and provide important quantitative information for applying the CF2H group as an OH group mimic. We next attempted to establish correlations of experimentally determined HB donation ability, in terms of Kd or ΔGexp