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

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

• aldol condensation of 5 provided the tetracyclic α,β-unsaturated enone 6 in 57% yield. Subsequent catalytic hydrogenation using Pd/C conditions delivered the hydrogen to the alkene from the less hindered face, producing ketone 7 with high diastereoselectivity. Final reduction of both the amide and

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

• from α-iodoenone 13. Our synthesis began with the preparation of α-iodoenone 13 (Scheme 2). The α-monomethylation of cyclohexenone 15 was efficiently carried out with LDA, HMPA, and MeI [37], producing enone 16 in 78% yield. Subsequently, a diastereoselective aldol reaction between 16 and 3-furaldehyde

• bicyclic ketone 21, which was prepared from (+)-Hajos–Parrish ketone in 49% yield over two steps (Scheme 3) [40][41][42][43]. Ensuring silyl enol etherification of the ketone at C29 coupled with IBX-mediated Nicolaou oxidation [44] furnished the corresponding enone in 72% yield (90% brsm). The methyl group

Light-enabled intramolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition via photoactivation of simple alkenylboronic esters

• Lewis McGhie,
• Hannah M. Kortman,
• Jenna Rumpf,
• Peter H. Seeberger and
• John J. Molloy

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 854–863, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.69

• facilitated landmark organic transformations, such as the venerable Paternò–Büchi [6][7][8], Norrish–Yang [9][10][11], and enone–alkene cycloadditions [12][13][14], that proceed via the generation of a singlet or triplet diradical through the activation of an unsaturated bond [2][14]. While these seminal

Mechanochemical difluoromethylations of ketones

• Jinbo Ke,
• Pit van Bonn and
• Carsten Bolm

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2799–2805, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.235

• ketones reacted well too. Accordingly, 3j was obtained in 42% yield. Enone 1k gave 3k in 51% yield, and after isolation by column chromatography the product was obtained in 13% yield. Difluoromethyl enol ether 3l was formed from diketone 1l in 25% yield. Finally, conversions of the two cyclic ketones 1m

A review of recent advances in electrochemical and photoelectrochemical late-stage functionalization classified by anodic oxidation, cathodic reduction, and paired electrolysis

• Nian Li,
• Ruzal Sitdikov,
• Ajit Prabhakar Kale,
• Joost Steverlynck,
• Bo Li and
• Magnus Rueping

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2500–2566, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.214

• generated tert-butyl peroxide to form an allylic peroxide, which ultimately transforms into an enone upon elimination of t-BuOH (Scheme 24). One year later, they developed an electrochemical transformation closely related to their electrochemical allylic oxidation, i.e. the oxidation of unactivated C(sp3)–H

Stereoselective mechanochemical synthesis of thiomalonate Michael adducts via iminium catalysis by chiral primary amines

• Michał Błauciak,
• Dominika Andrzejczyk,
• Błażej Dziuk and
• Rafał Kowalczyk

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2313–2322, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.198

• primary amines for this purpose to enable activation of the enone system. Such a method lowers the energy of the LUMO orbital and subsequently reduces the energy barrier between the nucleophile's HOMO orbital resultingly, expedites the entire transformation [38]. Moreover, the presence of the stereogenic

• cyclohexenone. Addition of bisthiomalonates 1–3 to cyclopentenone. Acyclic enone in reactions with thiomalonates 1–4. Reaction of β-ketothioesters with acceptor E1. Supporting Information Supporting Information File 94: Experimental and analytical data, crystallographic information and NMR spectra

Natural resorcylic lactones derived from alternariol

• Joachim Podlech

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2171–2207, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.187

Diastereoselective synthesis of highly substituted cyclohexanones and tetrahydrochromene-4-ones via conjugate addition of curcumins to arylidenemalonates

• Deepa Nair,
• Abhishek Tiwari,
• Banamali Laha and
• Irishi N. N. Namboothiri

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2016–2023, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.177

• reactions, especially as a Michael donor at the central methylene carbon, and Michael acceptor at the enone vinyl carbon. Therefore, it would be interesting to develop novel methodologies using curcumin and its non-natural analogs as key starting materials [24]. Because of its multifaceted reactive site

• equilibrium with 1,3-dicarbonyl enolate I, but the former would be trapped via cyclization involving a diastereoselective 6-endo-trig intramolecular Michael addition to the enone moiety leading to highly substituted cyclohexanone 3. The formation of triple Michael adduct 4 can be attributed to the enolate 3

Syntheses and medicinal chemistry of spiro heterocyclic steroids

• Laura L. Romero-Hernández,
• Ana Isabel Ahuja-Casarín,
• Penélope Merino-Montiel,
• Sara Montiel-Smith,
• José Luis Vega-Báez and
• Jesús Sandoval-Ramírez

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1713–1745, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.152

• an aldol condensation with benzaldehyde using potassium hydroxide in refluxing ethanol. The resulting enone 139 was reduced with sodium borohydride in methanol to give diastereoselectively the 17β-allylic alcohol. A successive treatment with m-CPBA in dichloromethane provided a mixture of epoxides

Chemo-enzymatic total synthesis: current approaches toward the integration of chemical and enzymatic transformations

• Ryo Tanifuji and
• Hiroki Oguri

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1693–1712, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.151

• , and dehydration to generate the thioester 63 on its ACP domain. Module 5 of TylGIII further extends the carbon chain with incorporation of methylmalonyl-CoA and ethylmalonyl-CoA. Then the KR, DH, and enoylreductase (ER) domains of module 6 catalyze the formation and reduction of enone to furnish

(Bio)isosteres of ortho- and meta-substituted benzenes

• H. Erik Diepers and
• Johannes C. L. Walker

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 859–890, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.78

• alkylation (to 172) were all possible. An alternative pathway to 1,3-cubane 166 was reported by Coote and co-workers (Scheme 17C) [64]. Through their synthesis of enone 176, used in Ueda’s synthesis of cubane 166 and previously only obtained as a side product of the Diels–Alder reaction forming enone 173 [65

• ], they were able to access cubane 166 on gram scale. Synthesis of enone 176 was achieved by a Wharton transposition sequence [66]. The enone 173 was epoxidised yielding epoxide 174, which could be converted into the allylic alcohol 175 by the Wharton reaction. Enone 176 could then be obtained by

• oxidation of alcohol 175 with Dess–Martin periodinane. Synthesis of cubane 166 was then achieved by [2 + 2] cycloaddition of enone 176 using acetone as the photosensitiser (to 177), the first Favorskii ring contraction (to 178), deketalisation, the second Favorskii ring contraction and esterification (to

Advancements in hydrochlorination of alkenes

• Daniel S. Müller

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 787–814, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.72

• distillation [41]. Under these conditions, exclusive formation of the bis-hydrochlorinated product (not shown) might have been anticipated. Several examples of the hydrochlorination of more complex molecules were reported (Scheme 5). Torii demonstrated the selective formation of chloride 20 when treating enone

Mechanisms for radical reactions initiating from N-hydroxyphthalimide esters

• Carlos R. Azpilcueta-Nicolas and
• Jean-Philip Lumb

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 346–378, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.35

• ]. Two decades later, in 2012 the Overman group demonstrated the utility of this transformation in the total synthesis of (–)-aplyviolene, involving the diastereoselective coupling of a tertiary radical and an enone acceptor [38]. Further developments of this chemistry resulted in the general use of NHPI

1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate as suitable solvent for BF₃: the case of alkyne hydration. Chemistry vs electrochemistry

• Marta David,
• Elisa Galli,
• Richard C. D. Brown,
• Marta Feroci,
• Fabrizio Vetica and
• Martina Bortolami

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1966–1981, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.147

• . Hydration of phenylacetylene 1d carried out with 3 equiv of BF3·Et2O for 5 h gave the aldol condensation product 3d (58%) in addition to acetophenone 2d with low yield (32%) (see Table S1, Supporting Information File 1). Assuming that enone 3d is formed from acetophenone, catalysed by the excess Lewis acid

Cyclization of 1-aryl-4,4,4-trichlorobut-2-en-1-ones into 3-trichloromethylindan-1-ones in triflic acid

• Vladislav A. Sokolov,
• Andrei A. Golushko,
• Irina A. Boyarskaya and
• Aleksander V. Vasilyev

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1460–1470, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.105

• electron-donating substituents in the aromatic ring gave oligomeric materials. Presumably, in these cases, after dehydration and formation of the corresponding enone 2, the latter underwent subsequent cationic oligomerization. Next we studied the intramolecular cyclization of compounds 1 and 2 in TfOH. It

• by X-ray analysis (see Supporting Information File 1). Both, hydroxy ketone 1 and the corresponding enone 2, can be converted into the same indanone 3 in comparable yields; see pairs of reactions for 1a and 2a (indanone 3a), 1d and 2d (indanone 3d), 1i and 3i (indanone 3i), and 1n and 3n (indanone 3n

• in the aryl ring of compound 3k were determined by NOESY correlations between protons in this structure (see Supporting Information File 1). Surprisingly, enone 2j transformed into the phenoxy-substituted indanone 3j in a low yield of 13% (Scheme 5). The formation of the latter represents an

Synthesis of medium and large phostams, phostones, and phostines

• Jiaxi Xu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 687–699, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.50

• ]. 2.2 Synthesis via [6 + 1] and [7 + 1] annulations The reactions of cyclohex-2-enone (87) and cyclohept-2-enone (88) with dimethyl phosphonate yielded dimethyl bicyclic phostone-phosphonates 89 and 90 under basic conditions in 59% yield via Michael addition, the nucleophilic hydrophosphonylation, and

• intramolecular transesterification. The method was also applied in the derivatization of a steroid derivative 95, affording the corresponding product 96 (Scheme 19) [42]. The reactions are [6 + 1] and [7 + 1] annulations for cyclohex-2-enone and cyclohept-2-enone, respectively. The treatment of (M)-2'-methyl

Enolates ambushed – asymmetric tandem conjugate addition and subsequent enolate trapping with conventional and less traditional electrophiles

• Péter Kisszékelyi and
• Radovan Šebesta

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 593–634, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.44

• had low ee values, the trans-products showed better enantioselectivities (up to 78%). Their control experiments suggested that the Ru enolate, formed by the conjugate addition of the alkyne to the enone, plays a significant role in the following aldol reaction. Later, Tian et al. have also employed a

• cyclization (Scheme 51A) [93]. The reaction starts with the coordination of the Rh catalyst to the propargyl alcohol 198. In the presence of a base, the rhodium–alkynyl reagent is generated with the concomitant extrusion of benzophenone. Finally, the alkynylation of the enone is followed by the cyclization

• was isolated as the main product (Scheme 52B). Thus far, the direct hydroarylation of such enone-dione substrates was unprecedented, presumably, due to the preferred metal-catalyzed aldol cyclization. Their protocol was further verified by a wide substrate scope. Additionally, the reaction showed high

Group 13 exchange and transborylation in catalysis

• Dominic R. Willcox and
• Stephen P. Thomas

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 325–348, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.28

• -hydroboration of the enone 29 with H-B-9-BBN to give an O-B-9-BBN enolate 30. Electrophilic cyanation of the enolate 30 with NCTS 31, and elimination gave the β-ketonitrile 33 and TsN(Ph)-9-B-BBN 34, which underwent B‒N/B‒H transborylation with HBpin to regenerate the catalyst and give TsN(Ph)-Bpin 35 (Scheme 8

• fluoride 50 to give the ester 51 and FBpin (Scheme 11). The H-B-9-BBN-catalysed 1,4-hydroboration of enones with HBpin was shown by Thomas, including the subsequent functionalisation of the intermediate Bpin-enolate 52 (Scheme 12) [76]. The proposed mechanism began by 1,4-hydroboration of the enone 29 with

• reaction of enones and esters or lactones (Scheme 14) [77]. Through a series of single-turnover reactions, a mechanism was proposed (Scheme 14): H-B-9-BBN underwent 1,4-hydroboration with the enone 29, followed by B‒O/B‒H transborylation with HBpin to give an O-Bpin enolate 52 and regenerate H-B-9-BBN

Strategies to access the [5-8] bicyclic core encountered in the sesquiterpene, diterpene and sesterterpene series

• Cécile Alleman,
• Charlène Gadais,
• Laurent Legentil and
• François-Hugues Porée

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 245–281, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.23

• ., compound 122 for further derivatization and structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies [59]. In this case, an intramolecular NHK was carried out on compound 120 prepared from 3-allylcyclopent-2-enone (119) to give the tricyclic compound 121 possessing the eight-membered ring in 73% yield as the major

• Astericus aquaticus (Asteraceae) which possesses a unique backbone featuring a cyclobutane moiety fused to a cyclopentane ring, a γ-lactone, and an eight-membered enone [60][61]. Zhang and Gu achieved its preparation through the use of a late-stage intramolecular NHK reaction (Scheme 23) [62]. Thus, when

An accelerated Rauhut–Currier dimerization enabled the synthesis of (±)-incarvilleatone and anticancer studies

• Tharun K. Kotammagari,
• Sweta Misra,
• Sayantan Paul,
• Sunita Kunte,
• Rajesh G. Gonnade,
• Manas K. Santra and
• Asish K. Bhattacharya

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 204–211, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.19

• accelerate the reaction. In conventional intermolecular RC reactions, the reaction proceeds by the intermolecular addition of a nucleophilic catalyst to the enone substrate to generate an enolate in the first step. In the second step the enolate ion attacks the other Michael acceptor at β-position in an

• addition reaction involved. The low reactivity of intermolecular RC reactions can be improved by incorporating the nucleophilic functionality within a molecule like I (Scheme 1). This nucleophilic functionality present within the enone system first undergoes an intramolecular conjugate addition and is

• functionality (hydroxy group) and an enone system within the same molecule are needed to accelerate the intermolecular RC reaction. Results and Discussion A retrosynthetic plan for the synthesis of (±)-incarvilleatone (1) and (±)-incarviditone (2) is delineated in Scheme 2. We envisaged that both the natural

Sequential hydrozirconation/Pd-catalyzed cross coupling of acyl chlorides towards conjugated (2E,4E)-dienones

• Benedikt Kolb,
• Daniela Silva dos Santos,
• Sanja Krause,
• Anna Zens and
• Sabine Laschat

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 176–185, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.17

• enone building blocks 23 for the synthesis of clifednamides [54][62]. The addition of Schwartz's reagent proceeds as a syn-addition affording (E)-alkenylzirconocenes 24 from terminal alkynes [28]. Based on these precedents from the literature, we surmised that it might be possible to establish a related

Combining the best of both worlds: radical-based divergent total synthesis

• Kyriaki Gennaiou,
• Antonios Kelesidis,
• Maria Kourgiantaki and
• Alexandros L. Zografos

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1–26, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.1

• aromatic common intermediate 9 (Scheme 10). Despite the simplicity, the most obvious disconnections, such as an anionic enone conjugated addition and a direct cationic Friedel–Crafts reaction failed. Highlighting the power of radical disconnection, the group thought of utilizing a β-keto carbon-centered

Synthetic study toward tridachiapyrone B

• Morgan Cormier,
• Florian Hernvann and
• Michaël De Paolis

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 1741–1748, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.183

• necessary (70% yield, 2:1 dr). The desaturation of the enone compound was next examined and while exposure of 13 to oxidant (o-iodoxybenzoic acid (IBX) or 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ)) left the starting materials unchanged, treatment with NaH in the presence of oxygen to induce the

Total synthesis of grayanane natural products

• Nicolas Fay,
• Rémi Blieck,
• Cyrille Kouklovsky and
• Aurélien de la Torre

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 1707–1719, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.181

• converted to 3 through a 6-step sequence involving reduction of the aromatic ring and oxidation of the enone to a dienone. The resulting dienone 3 underwent a key photoinduced santonin-like rearrangement in the presence of acetic acid, furnishing 4 in high yield. It should be noted that the group of Hiraoka

• enone 10 to the corresponding allylic alcohol, followed by a Au-catalyzed alkyne hydration, providing hemiketal 11. This intermediate was in equilibrium with hydroxy-ketone 12, which was suitable for a SmI2-promoted cyclization, affording intermediate 13 selectively, already bearing rings C and D. The

• with a yield of 26%. The secondary alcohol was protected as a MOM ether and the allylic silyl ether was converted to an enone. A selective oxidative cleavage, only affecting the monosubstituted alkene, led to the formation of 31, which underwent a key SmI2-promoted seven-membered ring closure, giving a