Z-Selective semihydrogenation of alkynes via Ni/Lewis acid synergistic catalyzed system using DMF as hydrogen source and solvent

• Lei Kang,
• Haifeng Gao and
• Luo Yang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 1004–1012, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.79

• dual-catalytic system has been developed for the Z-selective semihydrogenation of alkynes. Utilizing DMF as both the hydrogen donor and reaction medium, this method affords Z-alkenes in high yield with excellent stereoselectivity under mild conditions. The protocol employs cost-effective and readily

• available catalysts, and demonstrates broad applicability across a wide range of substrates. Keywords: alkynes; DMF; Ni/Lewis acid catalysis; Z-selective semihydrogenation; Introduction Z-Olefins represent important structural units in natural products, pharmaceuticals, and functional materials, making

• the stereoselective semihydrogenation of alkynes a fundamental transformation in synthesis [1][2][3][4][5]. Among available methods, transition-metal catalysis has played a dominant role. The classical Lindlar catalyst remains the most widely applied heterogeneous system [6], yet it suffers from

Rh(III)-catalyzed chelation-assisted C–H activation/annulation of 2-arylimidazolines with cyclic diazo-1,3-dicarbonyl compounds: a novel approach to tetracyclic annulated derivatives of 2,3-dihydroimidazo[2,1-a]isoquinoline

• Ivan Lyutin,
• Grigory Kantin,
• Olga Bakulina and
• Dmitry Dar'in

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 997–1003, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.78

• (Figure 1a) [12][14][15], while analogs with an additional aryl group at position 6 were obtained only once as part of investigation of annulation of arylamidines with internal alkynes under ruthenium catalysis (Figure 1b) [16]. Regarding this, we were interested in developing a general approach to

Electrochemical reduction of unsaturated carbon–carbon bonds via 3d transition-metal catalysis

• Geon Kang,
• Minki Jeon,
• Pooja Kumari Jat,
• Cheoljae Kim and
• Isaac Choi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 955–981, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.75

• unsaturated C–C bonds, enabling precise control without molecular hydrogen or stoichiometric reductants. This review summarizes recent advances in iron-, cobalt-, and nickel-catalyzed electroreduction of alkynes and alkenes, highlighting how electrochemical parameters and catalyst design unlock distinct

• ; electroorganic synthesis; reaction mechanism; 3d transition metals; unsaturated C–C bonds; Introduction Reductions of unsaturated C–C bonds Reduction of unsaturated C–C bonds, most notably, alkynes and alkenes, is a synthetic method that has been widely and extensively discussed with a long and rich history

• among chemistry and chemical industry community [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. Given this longstanding significance, the development of controlled reduction strategies has diversified to accommodate the distinct reactivity and selectivity. Representatively, complete hydrogenation of alkynes or alkenes is

The trans-influence in gold chemistry from a catalytic perspective

• Manfred Bochmann

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 838–856, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.66

• extent that this has been tested experimentally, those that insert O2 also insert activated alkynes such as DMAD. For example, Sadighi reported that (NHC)AuH reacted with DMAD to give the anti-insertion product stereoselectively but failed to react with 3-hexyne and diphenylacetylene [47]. The recently

• complexes. Both terminal and internal alkynes could be inserted, with a wide variety of functional groups including alkyl, aryl, OH, COOH, amide and aldehyde substituents, but not DMAD. The excellent stereo- and regiochemical selectivity could be explained by a bimolecular mechanism, as confirmed by DFT

• ]. Although not involving Au–H bonds, it is noted in passing that alkyne cis-insertions into Au(I)–Si and Au(I)–B bonds have been reported, as in the reactions of (IPr)AuSiMe2Ph with HC≡CCOOMe [67], and of (IPr)Au–boryl with internal alkynes, together with the subsequent isomerisation to trans-vinyls [68

Synthesis of heterocycles based on azomethine ylides from α-amino acids (or amines) and carbonyl compounds

• Ekaterina V. Berezhnaya,
• Alexander I. Ponyaev,
• Vitali M. Boitsov and
• Alexander V. Stepakov

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 705–741, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.55

• -alkylmaleimides 63, with the formation of cycloadducts 68. Next, without isolating the intermediate product 68, the resulting reaction mixture was used for the intramolecular (3 + 2) cycloaddition step with alkynes 69 and alkenes 70, which led to the formation of cycloadducts 71 and 72 with high

• successfully implemented the catalytic asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of alkynes to azomethine ylides derived from isatin and diethyl 2-aminomalonate in the presence of BINOL-based chiral phosphoric acid L23, affording synthetically and pharmaceutically important spiro[indoline-3,2'-pyrroles] in high

Regioselective approach to 5-arylsulfonylisoxazoles and their antimicrobial activity

• Artem S. Sazonov,
• Dmitry A. Vasilenko,
• Denis V. Porfiriev,
• Yuri K. Grishin,
• Rimma A. Gazzaeva,
• Alisa P. Chernyshova,
• Maxim A. Kryakvin,
• Anna A. Baranova,
• Vera A. Alferova and
• Elena B. Averina

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 592–602, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.45

• common method for the synthesis of substituted isoxazoles is based on the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile oxide with alkynes or alkenes followed by oxidation of the resulting isoxazoline product in the latter case [18][19][20][21][22]. This approach, in three variations, is also applicable to obtain

Synthesis of tricyclic fused pyrrolidine nitroxides from 2-alkynylpyrrolidine-1-oxyls

• Mark M. Gulman,
• Yuliya F. Polienko,
• Sofia Yu. Trakhininа,
• Yuri V. Gatilov,
• Tatyana V. Rybalova,
• Sergey A. Dobrynin and
• Igor A. Kirilyuk

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 344–351, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.22

• -2-ethynylpyrrolidine-1-oxyls with nucleophilic agents can lead to the formation of condensed systems involving the substituent at position 3 of the pyrrolidine ring [16]. Alkynes are broadly used in the synthesis of various heterocyclic compounds, and participation of neighboring functional groups

• corresponding alkynylmagnesium bromides to nitrone 1 [20]. Radicals 2d and 2e were prepared in analogy to the known procedure using trimethylsilylacetylene and benzyl propargyl ether as the terminal alkynes (Scheme 1). Nitrone 1 was treated with a 10-fold excess of alkynylmagnesium bromide prepared in situ via

• metalation of trimethylsilylacetylene or benzyl propargyl ether with ethylmagnesium bromide. After quenching, removal of the MOP protecting group, and oxidation by atmospheric oxygen the nitroxides 2d and 2e were isolated in 64% and 66% yields, respectively. Terminal alkynes can be converted into

Arene activation via π-bond localization: concepts and opportunities

• Paul Meiners,
• Julian J. Melder and
• Tobias Morack

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 257–273, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.19

• (Figure 6C), so suitable aromatic ligands are limited to those lacking strongly π-acidic functional groups, e.g., alkenes, alkynes, aldehydes, certain ketones, and nitriles. Lewis-basic heteroarenes, such as pyridines or imidazoles, tend to coordinate via nitrogen instead, disfavoring η2-binding (Figure

• biological relevance [63]. A final notable advance lies in the deployment of the W(0) dearomatization platform to mediate Diels–Alder reactions of η2-coordinated benzenes with alkynes, affording the corresponding η2-barrelene complexes under ambient conditions [64]. While Diels–Alder cycloadditions between

• reactions of η2-arene complexes with alkenes and alkynes; NMM: N-methylmaleimide [64][65]. Binding characteristics and pioneering examples of isolable η3-benzyl complexes. p-Selective allylation of benzyl chlorides with allylstannanes and subsequent synthetic expansion of dearomative cross-coupling

Synthesis and applications of alkenyl chlorides (vinyl chlorides): a review

• Daniel S. Müller

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 1–63, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.1

• -catalyzed additions of alkynes to acyl chlorides to access β-chlorovinyl ketones (2024) [31]. A review by Sharma and Singh covers comprehensively the synthesis and application of β-halovinyl aldehydes [32]. It should be noted that the synthesis of β-chloroalkenes substituted with an electron-withdrawing

• stereocontrolled olefin metathesis with molybdenum catalysts to access trisubstituted alkenes including alkenyl chlorides (Figure 3H) [39]. Two recent reviews by Lu [40] and Nishiwaki [41] provide overviews of current developments in the hydrochlorination of alkynes, highlighting emerging catalytic strategies

• alkenyl chlorides. The discussion begins with reductive metalation, reactions with organolithium reagents, and eliminations to terminal alkynes – some of which are also exemplified in chapter 1. This is followed by palladium- and nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. The chapter concludes with a

Tandem hydrothiocyanation/cyclization of CF₃-iminopropargyl alcohols with NaSCN in the presence of AcOH

• Ruslan S. Shulgin,
• Ol’ga G. Volostnykh,
• Anton V. Stepanov,
• Igor’ A. Ushakov,
• Alexander V. Vashchenko and
• Olesya A. Shemyakina

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2694–2702, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.207

• The hydrofunctionalization of alkynes is one of the most effective and convenient ways of synthesizing polysubstituted alkenes [1][2][3][4][5]. Such reactions can also afford more complex products, provided that the vinyl intermediates formed during the reaction undergo further transformations [6][7

• ][8]. However, this is mainly possible in the case of functionalized alkynes, where these intramolecular reactions usually involve other functional groups that are contained in the same intermediate. Among the numerous hydrofunctionalization reactions, hydrothiocyanation has attracted much attention

• thiocyanate group is introduced into a molecule bearing a nucleophile in a suitable position, cyclization can readily occur. In recent years, several methods for the hydrothiocyanation of alkynes bearing functional groups, primarily alkynoates, have been developed. Thus, thiocyano enoates were synthesized via

Total syntheses of highly oxidative Ryania diterpenoids facilitated by innovations in synthetic strategies

• Zhi-Qi Cao,
• Jin-Bao Qiao and
• Yu-Ming Zhao

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2553–2570, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.198

• , achieved the total synthesis of anhydroryanodol (10) and a formal synthesis of ryanodol (4) through a key low-valent titanium-mediated intramolecular stereoselective coupling of alkynes with 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds [52] (Scheme 9). To construct the oxygenated fused-ring system with contiguous

Pentacyclic aromatic heterocycles from Pd-catalyzed annulation of 1,5-diaryl-1,2,3-triazoles

• Kaylen D. Lathrum,
• Emily M. Hanneken,
• Katelyn R. Grzelak and
• James T. Fletcher

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2524–2534, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.194

• been reported. 1,5-Diaryl-1,2,3-triazole control compounds 37–42 were prepared via tandem deprotection/click reactions of TMS-protected alkynes with phenyl azide in yields similar to bromophenyl annulation precursors 7–12 and 25–30. Compounds 43–48, inverting the diaryltriazole connectivity, were

Catalytic enantioselective synthesis of selenium-containing atropisomers via C–Se bond formations

• Qi-Sen Gao,
• Zheng-Wei Wei and
• Zhi-Min Chen

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2447–2455, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.186

• synthetic approaches for constructing selenium-containing atropisomers have been reported, such as C–H selenylation of arenes, selenosulfonylation of vinylidene o-quinone methides (VQM), and hydroselenation of alkynes. Nevertheless, a comprehensive review that systematically summarizes these advances is

• pathway. In both pathways, the active chiral rhodium catalyst is regenerated through a silver salt-mediated recycling, with Ag–SePh being formed as a byproduct (Scheme 2). 2. Catalytic atroposelective synthesis of selenium-containing atropisomers by spontaneous selenosulfonylation of alkynes Vinyl

• or cationic species. In 2019, Qin and co-workers reported a methodology enabling the difunctionalization of alkynes through selenosulfonylation of a VQM intermediate under mild reaction conditions [20]. This racemic transformation proceeds without the need for any catalyst or additive, and the

Pathway economy in cyclization of 1,n-enynes

• Hezhen Han,
• Wenjie Mao,
• Bin Lin,
• Maosheng Cheng,
• Lu Yang and
• Yongxiang Liu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2260–2282, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.173

• substituents. Under the catalysis of IPrAuCl/AgSbF₆, substrates bearing unsubstituted terminal alkynes underwent 7-exo-dig cyclization driven by the strong nucleophilicity of the 3,5-dimethoxyphenyl group, exclusively affording dibenzo[b,d]azepine 54 (Scheme 12, path a). Conversely, substrates with aryl

• -substituted internal alkynes underwent exclusive 8-endo-dig cyclization, efficiently delivering the strained dibenzo[b,d]azocine 56 (Scheme 12, path b). Distinct activation modes governed the selectivity, where regioselective terminal gold coordination triggered 7-exo-dig cyclization in terminal alkynes

• , whereas internal alkynes favored the 8-endo-dig pathway due to steric constraints and carbocation stability. This strategy facilitated efficient and selective synthesis of macrocyclic amines, with precise ring size control via substituent modulation. In 2021, Liu group reported a BiCl3-mediated

Electrochemical cyclization of alkynes to construct five-membered nitrogen-heterocyclic rings

• Lifen Peng,
• Ting Wang,
• Zhiwen Yuan,
• Bin Li,
• Zilong Tang,
• Xirong Liu,
• Hui Li,
• Guofang Jiang,
• Chunling Zeng,
• Henry N. C. Wong and
• Xiao-Shui Peng

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2173–2201, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.166

• characteristics. Electrochemical construction of five-membered rings from alkynes attracted increasing attention due to the notable advantages of electrochemical transformations and facile access of alkynes. Indole skeletons were constructed successfully through electrochemical intramolecular coupling of ethynyl

• benzamides with terminal alkynes, 5-exo-dig aza-cyclization of 2-alkynylbenzamides as well as reductive cascade annulation of o-alkynylbenzamides. Pyrroles and imidazoles were formed efficiently via electrochemical annulation of alkynes with enamides and tandem Michael addition/azidation/cyclization of

• alkynes, amines and azides, respectively. Imidazopyridines could be obtained by electrochemical [3 + 2] cyclization of heteroarylamines. The electrochemical oxidative [3 + 2] cycloaddition of secondary propargyl alcohols was a simple and efficient access towards 1,2,3-triazoles. In this review

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

Understanding the origin of stereoselectivity in the photochemical denitrogenation of 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.1]heptene and its derivatives with non-adiabatic molecular dynamics

• Leticia A. Gomes and
• Steven A. Lopez

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2007–2020, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.156

• starting materials for different types of reactions including thermal isomerization to cyclopentenes [36][37][38] and 1,4-pentadienes [37][38], chemical electron-transfer oxidations to cyclopentene [39] and cycloaddition reactions with electron-deficient alkenes and alkynes [38][40][41] (Scheme 1b

Aryl iodane-induced cascade arylation–1,2-silyl shift–heterocyclization of propargylsilanes under copper catalysis

• Rasma Kroņkalne,
• Rūdolfs Beļaunieks,
• Armands Sebris,
• Anatoly Mishnev and
• Māris Turks

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1984–1994, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.154

• alkynes undergo 1,2-carbofunctionalization, where the highly electrophilic Ar–M species adds to the alkyne, generating a vinyl cation intermediate [7], which typically reacts with an internal nucleophile to form five- [8][9] or six-membered rings [7][9][10] (Scheme 1A). Thus far the internal nucleophilic

• ), more interesting reaction patterns can be observed. For example, branched aliphatic chain-containing alkynes are arylated and carbocyclized into cyclopentene derivatives [12][13]. The triflate moiety of the diaryl-λ3-iodane may act as an external nucleophile, resulting in 1,2-carbotriflation products

• [14]. Interestingly, this also works for terminal alkynes, which are typically known to undergo direct C(sp)–H arylation instead [15][16]. In the context of 1,2-carbofunctionalization, terminal alkynes are more scarcely studied. Among those few examples is a trifluoromethylative thiocyclization

Chiral phosphoric acid-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis of helically chiral, planarly chiral and inherently chiral molecules

• Wei Liu and
• Xiaoyu Yang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1864–1889, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.145

• , including the asymmetric [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition of aryl-substituted polyynes and hydroarylation of alkynes [18][19]. In contrast, the application of asymmetric organocatalysis for enantioselective synthesis of chiral helicenes remains relatively underdeveloped compared to transition metal-catalyzed

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

• , Burley, Watson, and co-workers present a new synthesis of germyl triazoles from germyl alkynes through a copper-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction [6]. The resulting Ge-substituted triazoles could be further diversified. For example, through chemoselective transition-metal-catalyzed

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

• potentially reactive functional groups such as alkenes, alkynes, halides or azides. In 2023, Coote et al. developed a synthetic approach to functionalised spirocyclic oxetanes 83 by combining a Paternò–Büchi reaction with succinic anhydride opening and esterification (Scheme 22) [63]. The key intermediates 82

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

• CHCl3, AcOH and o-DCB [44]. The resulting mixture of brominated PAHs 30 and 31 was then subjected to single or double [3 + 2] annulation with various alkynes, leading to the extended structures 32 and 33. Notably, compound 33d can undergo Pd-catalysed dimerization, resulting in the formation of a chiral

• characteristics to most azulene-embedded PAHs obtained via Scholl oxidation – specifically, the azulene subunit does not exhibit aromaticity, and the surrounding benzenoid rings predominantly determine the electronic structure of 49. [3 + 2] Annulation of alkynes accompanied by a phenyl ring expansion: The

• dimerization of alkynes, followed by the expansion of a phenyl ring leading to the formation of an azulene moiety, was first reported over half a century ago. These reactions can be carried out using various catalytic systems, including sulfenyl chloride/AlCl3 [50], palladium catalysts [51] or gold catalysts

Synthesis of β-ketophosphonates through aerobic copper(II)-mediated phosphorylation of enol acetates

• Alexander S. Budnikov,
• Igor B. Krylov,
• Fedor K. Monin,
• Valentina M. Merkulova,
• Alexey I. Ilovaisky,
• Liu Yan,
• Bing Yu and
• Alexander O. Terent’ev

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1192–1200, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.96

• leading to β-ketophosphonates have been reported [41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][61], challenges in this area still exist primely in the search for new available synthetic equivalents of alkynes and alkenes for effective radical C–P bond formation. Enol acetates are potentially versatile

• synthetic step distinguishes them from the less accessible substituted vinylarenes, alkynes, cinnamic and α,β-alkynyl carboxylic acids, as well as vinyl azides. In addition, compared to similar silyl and alkyl enol ethers, enol acetates are more resistant to solvolysis, which prevents unwanted side

• oxides as PH-reagents. The developed protocol utilizes a simple copper catalyst under mild reaction conditions and synthetically available enol acetates (compared to traditionally employed alkenes, alkynes, cinnamic, and α,β-alkynyl carboxylic acids). The present approach showed good functional group

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

• CO, Jiang and co-workers (2020) reported a Pd-catalyzed hydrocarboxylation of alkynes with high regioselectivity to obtain the corresponding cinnamic acids 281 and 282 in good yields via cyclopalladation intermediate 283 (Scheme 70A) [119]. The method has been scaled up to a gram scale operation

• . Furthermore, Sato and co-workers (2019) employed an air-stable Ni nanoparticle supported on sulfur-modified gold (SANi) to convert alkynes to the corresponding cinnamic acids 285–287 (Scheme 70B) [120]. In addition, the SANi catalyst could be recycled without significant loss of activity. By generating CO in

• situ from HCO2H, He and co-workers (2022) developed a Pd-catalyzed hydrocarboxylation of alkynes to the corresponding cinnamic acids 288 and 289 in good yields (Scheme 71A) [121]. Mechanistically, HCO2H protonates the Pd-coordinated alkyne to give the alkenyl–Pd intermediate 290, accompanied by CO

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

• . Keywords: alkynes; catalysis; cyclizations; domino reactions; heterocycles; Introduction Pyrimidines and purines are one of the most important heterocyclic compounds with prevalent biological functions. Both are found in nucleosides and their corresponding polymeric DNA and RNA, and hence are vital for

• procedure [25], 5-bromo-6-chloro-1,3-dimethyluracil (2) in 52% yield (Scheme 1). We previously reported Sonogashira reactions of the latter with various alkynes to give products 3a–d,g,h [26][27]. In this work, we extended the scope and prepared novel derivatives 3e and 3f. A nearly quantitative yield was