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

• units, as well as extending π-conjugated frameworks, are widely employed strategies for achieving longer-wavelength emission in optoelectronic materials. Inspired by the electronic configuration of borazine, boron has emerged as a valuable electron-accepting counterpart to electron-donating nitrogen in

Tautomerism and switching in 7-hydroxy-8-(azophenyl)quinoline and similar compounds

• Lidia Zaharieva,
• Vera Deneva,
• Fadhil S. Kamounah,
• Nikolay Vassilev,
• Ivan Angelov,
• Michael Pittelkow and
• Liudmil Antonov

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1404–1421, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.105

• constructed by us [92]. The configuration allows to use two light sources whose beams path orthogonally through a cuvette. The absorbance spectra were measured using a fiber-optic micro-spectrometer QE 65000 (Ocean Optics, Inc., Dunedin, FL, USA) with approximately 0.7 nm spectral resolution in the range 250

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

• , the atom N(2) deviates from the RMS plane S(1)C(3)C(4)C(5) by 0.461 Å. The atom of the N(1) morpholine fragment has a planar configuration with significant asymmetry in the lengths of C–N bonds. Due to the electron-acceptor effects of substituents, the C(3)‒H bond exhibits significant polarity and is

N-Salicyl-amino acid derivatives with antiparasitic activity from Pseudomonas sp. UIAU-6B

• Joy E. Rajakulendran,
• Emmanuel Tope Oluwabusola,
• Michela Cerone,
• Terry K. Smith,
• Olusoji O. Adebisi,
• Adefolalu Adedotun,
• Gagan Preet,
• Sylvia Soldatou,
• Hai Deng,
• Rainer Ebel and
• Marcel Jaspars

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1388–1396, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.103

• the biogenesis of this heterocyclisation leading to the pseudomonine biosynthesis [23]. The absolute configuration of the threonine residue in compounds 1 and 2 was assigned as ʟ, based on the derivatization of 1 and 2 hydrolysates with ʟ-FDAA, a Marfey’s reagent, followed by chromatographic profiling

• configuration to that of 3, evidenced by a medium through space correlation between the amide proton, H-8 (δH 9.9) and the methyl, H3-12 (δH 1.76) in the NOESY spectrum (see Figure 2 and Supporting Information File 1, Figure S23). Based on HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR data, the structure of compound 4, was confirmed

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

• : aliphatic > allylic > benzylic. In case of trisubstituted C=C bonds, the cyclisation proceeded with retention of configuration, however, higher reaction temperatures were required due to the increased steric hindrance. Competition experiments revealed a preference for 4-exo ring closure over 5-exo, 6-exo

• % yield. Interestingly, only the xylono-lactone showed complete inversion of the configuration at C-2 while the lyxono-lactone showed complete retention of the configuration. The ribono- and arabinono-lactone displayed predominant retention and inversion, respectively. Switching the triflyl group for the

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

• a cancer therapeutic, exhibiting anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, antimicrobial, antifungal, and antimalarial activities. While Keller-Schierlein first determined its chemical structure, Anderson later confirmed its absolute configuration using X-ray crystallography [16]. During the screening of

• sediment in Yalongwan, China [22]. The C14–C15 olefin geometry of borrelidins G and H (Table 1, entries 10 and 11) exhibited a Z-configuration, as confirmed by NOESY correlations. Borrelidins J–L (Table 1, entries 13–15) were isolated from an endophytic Streptomyces sp. NA06554 from Aster tataricus in Aba

• borrelidin [38]. They highlighted a significant limitation in existing methods for constructing the deoxypropionate unit of borrelidin, which features four 1,3-alternating methyl groups with a syn,syn,anti-configuration. These methods typically required at least three synthetic steps to iteratively form each

A versatile route towards 6-arylpipecolic acids

• Erich Gebel,
• Cornelia Göcke,
• Carolin Gruner and
• Norbert Sewald

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1104–1115, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.88

• to investigate how the configuration of the stereocenter in C2 position influences diastereoselectivity. In the first approach, NaBH3CN was used under acidic conditions to reduce the acyliminium intermediate formed from the N-acyl enamine upon protonation at C5, while in the second approach

• kinetically controlled diastereofacial selectivity. The resulting diastereomers are separable by chromatography. 1H NMR was used to assign the configuration of the 2 diastereomers [53][54][55]. Carbon C2 is R-configured, as ᴅ-2-aminoadipic acid (1) was employed as the starting material. The minor diastereomer

• adopts a chair with only gauche couplings for H2 [3J(H2,H3,pro-S) = 5.7 Hz and 3J(H2,H3,pro-R) = 3.6 Hz]. Similarly, the configuration at C6 becomes evident by gauche couplings only between H6 and H5 [3J(H6,H5,pro-S) = 3J(H6,H5,pro-R) = 5.1 Hz] with an axial position for the aryl substituent at C6 as

Supramolecular assembly of hypervalent iodine macrocycles and alkali metals

• Krishna Pandey,
• Lucas X. Orton,
• Grayson Venus,
• Waseem A. Hussain,
• Toby Woods,
• Lichang Wang and
• Kyle N. Plunkett

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1095–1103, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.87

• heteroatoms at axial positions resulting in a three-center four-electron bond [13][14]. In this unique “T” configuration, the bond length between iodine and one of the heteroatoms is influenced by the bond distance of the other heteroatom and is responsible for the stabilization of the hypervalent iodine

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

• -catalyzed asymmetric allylic amination of allyl esters with isatin using (aR)-(−)-6 possesses an S-configuration. This stereochemical outcome follows the same reaction mechanism as the Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution of allyl esters with indoles using (aR)-(−)-6 [31]. To explore further

Recent total synthesis of natural products leveraging a strategy of enamide cyclization

• Chun-Yu Mi,
• Jia-Yuan Zhai and
• Xiao-Ming Zhang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 999–1009, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.81

• the reduction of amide-generated ketone 12 after a subsequent Dess–Martin oxidation. Upon treatment of 12 with Co(acac)2 and PhSiH3 in iPrOH at 80 °C, the Mukaiyama hydration of enamide delivered hemiaminal 13. Despite the incorrect configuration of the newly formed hydroxy group, it is considered

• inconsequential due to the reversibility of hemiaminal. Consequently, further reduction of the amide could complete the total synthesis of (+)-fawcettimine with in situ adjustment of the hemiaminal configuration. The incorrect configuration observed in the Mukaiyama hydration also inspired the authors to develop

• cyclization to form products in high yields and excellent enantioselectivities. Notably, only a single diastereomer was produced in each case. The single-crystal X-ray crystallography revealed a cis-configuration for both the alkene and ketone substituents on the enamide, indicating that the intramolecular

On the photoluminescence in triarylmethyl-centered mono-, di-, and multiradicals

• Daniel Straub,
• Markus Gross,
• Mona E. Arnold,
• Julia Zolg and
• Alexander J. C. Kuehne

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 964–998, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.80

• quinodal electronic structure, diradicals with broken Kekulé-conjugation exhibit much stronger diradical character. In accordance with the above-described nomenclature, these diradicals are termed non-Kekulé diradicals. This tendency of diradicals to form a closed-shell electronic configuration can be

• described using the diradical index y0, which corresponds to a closed-shell system for y0 = 0 and a purely open-shell diradical for y0 = 1. In the open-shell electron configuration, the diradicals can acquire a singlet state with open-shell but antiparallel spins (total electronic spin, S = 0) or a triplet

A convergent synthetic approach to the tetracyclic core framework of khayanolide-type limonoids

• Zhiyang Zhang,
• Jialei Hu,
• Hanfeng Ding,
• Li Zhang and
• Peirong Rao

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 926–934, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.75

• simultaneously installing the hydroxy group at C30. The latter intermediate could in turn be derived from dienone 11 by an AcOH-interrupted Nazarov cyclization [32][33][34], thereby establishing the B ring with the desired all-cis stereochemical configuration, including the quaternary carbon at C10 and the

• % brsm). Since the newly created configuration at C30 was inconsequential, an intramolecular aldol reaction was directly carried out by treatment with LiHMDS to furnish β-hydroxylactone, which could be converted to dienone 11 through TPAP oxidation. Having secured 11, we proceeded to evaluate the pivotal

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

• , obtaining a separable mixture of the major cis and minor trans diastereomers of the sp3-enriched pyrazolodiazepine 17. The relative configuration of the stereocenters in the major cis isomer of 17 was established via scXRD analysis. Both diastereomers of 17 were found to be amenable to chemoselective amide

Cu–Bpin-mediated dimerization of 4,4-dichloro-2-butenoic acid derivatives enables the synthesis of densely functionalized cyclopropanes

• Patricia Gómez-Roibás,
• Andrea Chaves-Pouso and
• Martín Fañanás-Mastral

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 877–883, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.71

• cases, with SIPr providing the best result (Table 1, entry 11). Under these optimized conditions, product 2 was isolated in 60% yield as a single diastereomer. The relative configuration of 2 was determined by two-dimensional NMR analysis (see Supporting Information File 1 for details). This

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

• -system configuration promotes selective functionalization, enabling the synthesis of various complex products through a single transformation [17][18][19]. Therefore, allenes have become versatile intermediates in numerous transition-metal-catalyzed reactions [20][21]. Despite extensive studies on the

Development and mechanistic studies of calcium–BINOL phosphate-catalyzed hydrocyanation of hydrazones

• Carola Tortora,
• Christian A. Fischer,
• Sascha Kohlbauer,
• Alexandru Zamfir,
• Gerd M. Ballmann,
• Jürgen Pahl,
• Sjoerd Harder and
• Svetlana B. Tsogoeva

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 755–765, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.59

• . Trimethylsilyl cyanide (TMSCN) has been used as a sacrificial cyanide source. We found that isocyanide (rather than cyanide) is a preferred coordination to calcium during the catalytic cycle, while the active catalyst prefers a side-on coordination of cyanide. The configuration-determining step is a

• of 9 (for Z- and E-configuration, and for Re or Si side attack) should be more or less equal and the actual stereoselectivity must hence be determined in later stages of the reaction. Ligand sites in the pre-complex 9 form a pseudo-tetragonal pyramid, with isocyanide at the apex. Atoms in the Ca–NC

• provisioning for the following reaction step. Hydrocyanation hence proceeds facially with a barrier of only 10.2 kcal·mol−1 via the configuration-determining TS 9-10 by attack of isocyanide at the imine carbon of hydrazone. If the configuration-determining step would be also rate limiting, experimental

Orthogonal photoswitching of heterobivalent azobenzene glycoclusters: the effect of glycoligand orientation in bacterial adhesion

• Leon M. Friedrich and
• Thisbe K. Lindhorst

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 736–748, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.57

• is dependent on the configuration of the azobenzene photoswitch (E or Z). In both cases, the E isomers exhibit significantly higher RIP(MeMan) values than the Z isomers, approx. two times higher for 4 and approx. three times higher for 5 (cf. Supporting Information File 1, Table S6). The bis

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

Asymmetric synthesis of fluorinated derivatives of aromatic and γ-branched amino acids via a chiral Ni(II) complex

• Maurizio Iannuzzi,
• Thomas Hohmann,
• Michael Dyrks,
• Kilian Haoues,
• Katarzyna Salamon-Krokosz and
• Beate Koksch

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 659–669, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.52

• configuration was determined by analyzing the 1H NMR spectrum in the δ = 2.8–1.7 ppm region, which displayed the characteristic diastereotopic hydrogen atoms of this compound, as previously reported by Biava et al. [15]. Unfortunately, the corresponding (2S,4S)-isomer 12b was intractable for isolation (yield

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

• meantime, an excellent diastereoselectivity (97:3 dr) was achieved in the decarboxylative cyclization of N-mesylamide 9n possessing an S stereogenic center in the α-position to the nitrogen. Unfortunately, the configuration of the newly formed quaternary stereogenic center in 6n could not be established by

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

• of an N–C bond, where the stability of the leaving carbocation is the main factor that affects the rate of this step. Next, intermediate 37 is attacked by the phosphorus compound, giving product 35 with retention of the configuration. This mechanism was confirmed when compound 36a was isolated as

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

• % yield. Based on X-ray analysis data the synthesized compound 4a is 2H-furo[3,2-b]pyran-2,7(3H)-dione bearing an enamine fragment at the furanone ring (Scheme 2b). It’s interesting to note that prepared product 4a exists in form of the Z-isomer. This configuration is apparently stabilized by an

Vinylogous functionalization of 4-alkylidene-5-aminopyrazoles with methyl trifluoropyruvates

• Judit Hostalet-Romero,
• Laura Carceller-Ferrer,
• Gonzalo Blay,
• Amparo Sanz-Marco,
• José R. Pedro and
• Carlos Vila

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 533–540, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.41

• to determine the role of the squaramide. The relative configuration of the stereogenic centres in compound 5aca was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis (Scheme 3) [33]; the relative configurations of the other compounds 5 were assigned on the assumption of a uniform mechanistic pathway

Cryptophycin unit B analogues

• Thomas Schachtsiek,
• Jona Voss,
• Maren Hamsen,
• Beate Neumann,
• Hans-Georg Stammler and
• Norbert Sewald

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 526–532, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.40

• crystallised in the monoclinic space group P21 with R1 = 0.0285 clearly showing the expected (R)-configuration with a Flack parameter of −0.07(6). Starting from monomethylaniline derivative 7, the synthesis of the final building block was finalised by chlorination [20], Alloc protection and saponification [21

Synthesis of N-acetyl diazocine derivatives via cross-coupling reaction

• Thomas Brandt,
• Pascal Lentes,
• Jeremy Rudtke,
• Michael Hösgen,
• Christian Näther and
• Rainer Herges

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 490–499, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.36

• spectra [1]. Moreover, the ethylene bridge creates a cyclic 8-membered core, inverting the thermodynamically stability in favor of the Z boat conformation compared to parent azobenzene, which has a stable E configuration [1][2][3][4]. Preceding studies including azobenzene-based photopharmacophores showed

• that, in most cases, the sterically demanding Z configuration is biologically inactive, while the stretched E configuration is biologically active [5][6][7]. Because of the inverted thermodynamic stability compared to azobenzene, the stable Z configuration of the diazocine can be administered and

• subsequently activated with light at the site of illness with high spatiotemporal resolution. Thus, collateral damage in the surrounding healthy tissue can be avoided. In addition, the quantitative thermal back-isomerization from the active E to the inactive Z configuration prevents contamination and