Kinetic resolution of racemic planar-chiral vinylcymantrenes by molybdenum-catalyzed asymmetric metathesis dimerization

• Haruna Imazu,
• Hitoshi Izu,
• Yasuhiro Ohki and
• Masamichi Ogasawara

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 568–574, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.42

• resolution; molybdenum; olefin metathesis; planar chirality; Introduction The development of the well-defined molybdenum- [1][2] or ruthenium-alkylidene [3][4][5] catalysts has proven the olefin metathesis reaction to be a powerful tool in organic synthesis. Asymmetric extension is a recent trend in

• ], reveals that the molybdenum-catalyzed asymmetric metathesis reactions are powerful tools to control planar chirality in various transition-metal complexes. ORTEP drawing of the X-ray structure of (S,S)-(–)-2b with atom numbering (thermal ellipsoids set at the 30% probability level). Selected bond lengths

Recent advances in the stereoselective synthesis of distal biaxially chiral molecules

• Fanxing Zhou,
• Chen Zhang,
• Lingyu Sun,
• Yiyun Fang,
• Siming Zheng,
• Lina Hu,
• Mengyang Shen,
• Zhen Zhao,
• Wei Xu,
• Yunqiang Sun and
• Zi-Qiang Rong

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 461–479, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.34

• distal axial chiralities are widely applied in chiral ligands, natural products, and anticancer agents, with their unique spatial configurations endowing them with distinctive functions and values. Although significant progress has been made in the asymmetric synthesis of distal biaxial chirality

• , overcoming the challenges of steric complexity and dynamic stability to achieve efficient and general construction remains a critical issue. This review summarizes recent advances in the field of distal biaxial chirality, highlighting three major synthetic strategies: direct one-step construction of distal

• biaxial chirality, multistep sequential generation, and conversion from central to biaxial chirality, with the aim of providing new perspectives and methodologies for further development in this area. Keywords: axially chiral compounds; stereoselective synthesis; Introduction In recent years, axially

Synthesis and stereochemical analysis of dynamic planar chiral oxa[7]orthocyclophene

• Yukiho Hashimoto,
• Yuuya Kawasaki,
• Kazunobu Igawa and
• Katsuhiko Tomooka

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 436–442, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.30

• oxacyclophene enabled the efficient and divergent synthesis of C6-substituted derivatives. The stereochemical analysis of the oxacyclophenes revealed that the iodo- and methyl-substituted derivatives have reasonable stereochemical stability. The planar chirality of the methyl-substituted oxacyclophene was

• successfully transformed into central chirality by epoxidation without loss of enantiomeric purity. Keywords: dynamic chirality; medium-sized heterocycle; orthocyclophene; planar chirality; stereochemical analysis; Introduction In the course of our study on planar chiral medium-sized cyclic molecules [1][2

• ][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10], we previously synthesized hetera[7]orthocyclophenes 1 having a heteroatom-embedded ansa-chain (X = O or NR) and an (E)-alkene moiety (Figure 1) [6][9], and found that the orthocyclophenes exhibit dynamic planar chirality in a wide range of stereochemical stability depending

Cone p-aminocalix[4]arenes enriched with ‘clickable’ alkyne or azide functionalities

• Ilia Korniltsev,
• Vasily Bazhenov,
• Alexander Gorbunov,
• Dmitry Cheshkov,
• Stanislav Bezzubov,
• Vladimir Kovalev and
• Ivan Vatsouro

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 399–415, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.28

• pairs of distal triazole groups, and C4v-symmetric tetraureas 47 and 50. Due to the phenomenon of supramolecular chirality caused by the direction of hydrogen bonds in the capsules [100], tetraureacalixarenes of the first type should form two regioisomeric homodimers possessing C1-symmetry or a single

• become diastereotopic due to the supramolecular chirality of the heterodimeric capsule (see inserts in Figure 4e). Due to the higher symmetry of both homo- and heterodimeric capsules formed by ditriazolated tetraureas 48 and 51 (Figure 5), the 1H NMR spectra acquired from solutions of these compounds or

Electrosynthetic access to unsymmetrical oxaza[8]helicenes with high chiral stability and strong circularly polarized luminescence (CPL)

• Tin Zar Aye,
• Rubal Sharma,
• Muthu Karuppasamy,
• Daiya Suzuki,
• Haruka Nakajima,
• Yoshitane Imai,
• Mitsuhiro Arisawa,
• Mohamed S. H. Salem and
• Shinobu Takizawa

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 372–382, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.25

• ; electrochemistry; emission; helical elongation; helicene; photophysical; Introduction Chirality is a pervasive feature of natural and artificial systems, and chiral small molecules continue to underpin advances in chemistry and materials science [1][2]. Among them, helicenes – ortho-condensed polycyclic aromatic

• hydrocarbons (PAHs) built from angularly annulated rings – occupy a distinctive niche because their non-planar, screw-shaped architectures generate inherent, configurational chirality [3][4][5]. This helicity originates from intramolecular steric congestion and stabilizing π–π interactions between terminal

Non-central chirality in organic chemistry

• Ken Tanaka and
• Naohiko Yoshikai

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 370–371, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.24

• ; chiroptical properties; molecular chirality; Chirality is a foundational concept in organic chemistry, traditionally framed around tetrahedral carbon stereocenters. Over the past decades, however, it has become increasingly clear that molecular handedness is not confined to localized points in space. Axes

• , planes, helices, and more global structural features can equally serve as stereogenic elements, giving rise to what is broadly termed non-central chirality. Rather than constituting a single structural motif, non-central chirality encompasses a diverse family of stereogenic architectures whose

• commonality lies in how chirality emerges from extended molecular frameworks, dynamic conformational landscapes, or topological constraints. As such, non-central chirality challenges both our synthetic capabilities and our conceptual understanding of stereochemical control. Numerous reviews have addressed

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

• dimension of control: chirality at the metal center. The resulting enantioenriched complexes have enabled a suite of asymmetric transformations (vide infra) [47]. Structure and properties To rationalize and predict the enhanced reactivity of η2-bound arenes, it is instructive to first examine the properties

Screwing the helical chirality through terminal peri-functionalization

• Devesh Chandra,
• Sachin and
• Upendra Sharma

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 205–212, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.14

• Devesh Chandra Sachin Upendra Sharma Chemical Technology Division, CSIR-IHBT, Palampur, HP 176 061, India Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad-201002, India 10.3762/bjoc.22.14 Abstract Helical chirality is an important, but underrated form of chirality than other types

• of chirality. Molecules with helical chirality impart a crucial role in several biological phenomena as well as in modern materials applications. Classically, the generation of chiral helicity in organic molecules relies on a ring extension by means of cycloaddition and related reactions. Recently

• , the peri-functionalization approach paved a new pathway for the generation of chiral helical molecules. In this article, we highlight the key advancements in these parallel approaches for the generation of helical chiral architectures. Keywords: catalysis; C–H functionalization; helical chirality

Asymmetric Mannich reaction of aromatic imines with malonates in the presence of multifunctional catalysts

• Kadri Kriis,
• Harry Martõnov,
• Annette Miller,
• Mia Peterson,
• Ivar Järving and
• Tõnis Kanger

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 151–157, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.8

• between the catalyst and the reagents. The chirality of the catalysts is derived from either amino acid or amino alcohols (including cinchona alkaloid derivatives). There are three exceptional structures: catalysts A-H and E-H, which are the hydrogen analogues of the corresponding iodine-containing

Design and synthesis of an axially chiral platinum(II) complex and its CPL properties in PMMA matrix

• Daiki Tauchi,
• Sota Ogura,
• Misa Sakura,
• Kazunori Tsubaki and
• Masashi Hasegawa

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 143–150, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.7

• increased to 4%. CD spectra showed distinct Cotton effects in the MLCT region, and CPL signals were observed only in the PMMA matrices, with a dissymmetry factor |glum| = 0.4 × 10−3. These results demonstrate that axial chirality of the binaphthyl moiety governs the three-dimensional chiral arrangement of

• two platinum(II) chromophore units, leading to the chiroptical properties in the MLCT region through exciton coupling under restricted molecular motion. Keywords: axial chirality; chiral chemistry; circularly polarized luminescence (CPL); phosphorescence; platinum(II) complex; Introduction

• also from the perspective of fundamental chemistry. In recent years, the design and synthesis of luminescent pincer-type platinum(II) metal complexes incorporating chirality, as well as the study of their physicochemical properties, have gained significant interest [18][19][20][21][22]. Such efforts

Highly electrophilic, gem- and spiro-activated trichloromethylnitrocyclopropanes: synthesis and structure

• Ilia A. Pilipenko,
• Mikhail V. Grigoriev,
• Olga Yu. Ozerova,
• Igor A. Litvinov,
• Darya V. Spiridonova,
• Aleksander V. Vasilyev and
• Sergey V. Makarenko

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 123–130, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.5

• and 9b (1.3:1 dr, according to the 1H NMR spectrum) due to the axial chirality of this molecule. The mixture was easily separated by silica gel column chromatography. Each of the isomers is characterized by the trans-configuration of the nitro- and trichloromethyl groups in the cyclopropane ring (3JH

Total synthesis of natural products based on hydrogenation of aromatic rings

• Haoxiang Wu and
• Xiangbing Qi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 88–122, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.4

• be noted that in the presence of water, the reaction would undergo transamination with the pyridinium nitrogen moiety while inducing chirality on the ring. Hydrogenation of carbocyclic aromatic rings: In 2021, Andersson and co-workers reported a rhodium-catalyst precursor capable of operating in both

• ). During attempts to reduce intermediate 181 via asymmetric hydrogen atom transfer (HAT), the authors found that 181 exists as a racemic mixture, with chirality originating from its axially chiral biaryl structure. Owing to the steric hindrance introduced by substituents, 181 exists as a pair of

Transformation of the cyclohexane ring to the cyclopentane fragment of biologically active compounds

• Natalya Akhmetdinova,
• Ilgiz Biktagirov and
• Liliya Kh. Faizullina

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2416–2446, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.185

• reported a stereospecific reduction of an acyloin ring controlled by the chirality of a glucose fragment at position C5, and suggested a possible mechanism for hydrogen migration during the conversion of C5 (sp2) to C5 (sp3). The key 3,4,6-trihydroxycyclohexadienone 76 was obtained by a sequence of Friedel

Rotaxanes with integrated photoswitches: design principles, functional behavior, and emerging applications

• Jullyane Emi Matsushima,
• Khushbu,
• Zuliah Abdulsalam,
• Udyogi Navodya Kulathilaka Conthagamage and
• Víctor García-López

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2345–2366, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.179

• demonstrates that mechanical motion within a rotaxane can propagate molecular-level stereochemical information to the macroscopic organization of soft matter, providing a new strategy for dynamic chirality control in functional materials. Spiropyran When spiropyrans are irradiated with UV light, the breaking

Enantioselective radical chemistry: a bright future ahead

• Anna C. Renner,
• Sagar S. Thorat,
• Hariharaputhiran Subramanian and
• Mukund P. Sibi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2283–2296, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.174

• synthesis. Strategies for asymmetric radical reactions Stereoselectivity in radical reactions can be challenging to control. Many radicals are highly reactive, and radicals moreover have typically low inversion barriers, resulting in no permanent chirality at the radical center. Stereochemistry in radical

A m-quaterphenyl probe for absolute configurational assignments of primary and secondary amines

• Yuka Takeuchi,
• Mutsumi Kobayashi,
• Yuuka Gotoh,
• Mari Ikeda,
• Yoichi Habata,
• Tomohiko Shirai and
• Shunsuke Kuwahara

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2211–2219, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.168

• at room temperature [41][42][43]. The central biphenyl moiety of conjugates 2a–h also rotates freely, forming an equilibrium mixture of P and M conformers. The relative amounts of P and M conformers depend on the chirality of the linked amine moieties. Figure 1a shows the UV and CD spectra of the

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

• alkynes bearing heteroatoms such as ynamides and thioalkynes would be enhanced in future research; (2) since axial chirality is critical in natural products and pharmaceuticals, it would be significant to apply the electrochemical annulation of alkynes in formation of organic rings with axial chirality

Bioinspired total syntheses of natural products: a personal adventure

• Zhengyi Qin,
• Yuting Yang,
• Nuran Yan,
• Xinyu Liang,
• Zhiyu Zhang,
• Yaxuan Duan,
• Huilin Li and
• Xuegong She

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2048–2061, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.160

• obtained axial chirality is identical to the naturally occurring one. Almost at the same time, Soorukram and co-workers reported the same approach to access the dibenzocyclooctene member gymnothelignan V [41]. Next, we examined the bioinspired transformation of the linear skeleton to the spirocycle. By

Measuring the stereogenic remoteness in non-central chirality: a stereocontrol connectivity index for asymmetric reactions

• Ivan Keng Wee On,
• Yu Kun Choo,
• Sambhav Baid and
• Ye Zhu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1995–2006, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.155

• remained an intuitive and empirical practice, particularly for reactions that create non-central chirality. We put forward a stereocontrol connectivity index to parameterize asymmetric reactions according to the bond connectivity relationships between the prochiral stereogenic elements, the reactive sites

• , and the stereochemical-defining substituents. The indices can be generated based on analysis of the chemical structures of the starting materials and products, without mechanistic insights of the transformation. Representative examples of reactions that establish point chirality, axial chirality

• , planar chirality, and “inherent chirality” are illustrated using the stereocontrol connectivity index produced following a unified 3-step process. Application of such stereochemical classification could facilitate the development of new synthetic methodologies and catalyst systems to construct diverse

Enantioselective desymmetrization strategy of prochiral 1,3-diols in natural product synthesis

• Lihua Wei,
• Rui Yang,
• Zhifeng Shi and
• Zhiqiang Ma

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1932–1963, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.151

• 25 with vinyl butanoate and PPL delivered monoester 26 in 92% yield (99% ee). The axial chirality was transferred to the C7’ stereocenter through a Ag(I)-catalyzed cycloisomerization of the allenol, constructing the dihydrofuran ring. Lipase-catalyzed ester hydrolysis provided allylic alcohol 27

Synthesis of N-doped chiral macrocycles by regioselective palladium-catalyzed arylation

• Shuhai Qiu and
• Junzhi Liu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1917–1923, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.149

• ; inherent chirality; N-doped macrocycle; nonplanarity; regioselective cyclization; Introduction Chiral macrocycles have attracted significant research interest owing to their diverse applications in enantioselective recognition [1][2], catalysis [3][4], and circularly polarized luminescence [5][6

• ]. Generally, chirality in macrocycles arises from subunits featuring classical chiral elements [7], such as central, axis, planar and helical configurations. In contrast, inherent chirality represents a non-classical phenomenon where chirality emerges from the rigid and nonplanar architecture of macrocycles

• that inherently lacks symmetry [8][9]. One of the most typical representatives are calix[4]arenes (Figure 1a), first reported by Böhmer in 1994 [10], where asymmetric substitutions on the macrocyclic rim induce inherent chirality. Subsequent advancements have identified other inherent chiral systems

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

• .21.145 Abstract Chiral molecules, distinguished by nonsuperimposability with their mirror image, play crucial roles across diverse research fields. Molecular chirality is conventionally categorized into the following types: central chirality, axial chirality, planar chirality and helical chirality, along

• with the more recently introduced inherent chirality. As one of the most prominent chiral organocatalysts, chiral phosphoric acid (CPA) catalysis has proven highly effective in synthesizing centrally and axially chiral molecules. However, its potential in the asymmetric construction of other types of

• molecular chirality has been investigated comparatively less. This Review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent emerging advancements in asymmetric synthesis of planarly chiral, helically chiral and inherently chiral molecules using CPA catalysis, while offering insights into future developments

Photoswitches beyond azobenzene: a beginner’s guide

• Michela Marcon,
• Christoph Haag and
• Burkhard König

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1808–1853, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.143

• led to a strong decrease in the thermal half-life, suggesting water is also involved in the Z–E thermal isomerisation process [70]. Bridged indigos have also been reported for which the Z-isomers are unstable. By bridging the two nitrogen atoms, these compounds show planar chirality and can be

Unique halogen–π association detected in single crystals of C–N atropisomeric N-(2-halophenyl)quinolin-2-one derivatives and the thione analogue

• Mai Uchibori,
• Nanami Murate,
• Kanako Shima,
• Tatsunori Sakagami,
• Ko Kanehisa,
• Gary James Richards,
• Akiko Hori and
• Osamu Kitagawa

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1748–1756, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.138

• the single crystals of racemates significantly differs from that of optically pure forms (chirality-dependent halogen bonding, Figure 1) [20][21]. That is, in crystals of racemic mebroqualone rac-I, heterochiral zig-zag polymer chains, in which (P)-I and (M)-I were alternately connected, were formed

• , ought to have different halogen bonding properties, and should be explored as different chemical entities. Meanwhile, there are very few studies on halogen bonding related to molecular chirality such as those shown in Figure 1 [27][28][29][30]. In addition, the studies on the comparison of

• intermolecular interaction (halogen bonding) between chiral compounds possessing an amide group and a thioamide group are quite rare [21]. We were curious as to whether the chirality (racemate/optically pure form)- and the functional group (C=O/C=S)-dependent halogen bonds found in I and II are also observed in

3,3'-Linked BINOL macrocycles: optimized synthesis of crown ethers featuring one or two BINOL units

• Somayyeh Kheirjou,
• Jan Riebe,
• Maike Thiele,
• Christoph Wölper and
• Jochen Niemeyer

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1719–1729, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.134

• ). Keywords: BINOL; chirality; crown ethers; macrocycles; supramolecular chemistry; Introduction Crown ethers are at the heart of supramolecular chemistry [1]. Ever since their discovery in 1960, a vast number of different crown ethers has been synthesized and their interactions with guest molecules have