An Fe(II)-catalyzed synthesis of spiro[indoline-3,2'-pyrrolidine] derivatives

• Elizaveta V. Gradova,
• Nikita A. Ozhegov,
• Roman O. Shcherbakov,
• Alexander G. Tkachenko,
• Larisa Y. Nesterova,
• Elena Y. Mendogralo and
• Maxim G. Uchuskin

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2383–2388, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.183

• e) [12]. The second category of synthetic methods relies on more accessible, non-pre-functionalized starting materials and stepwise assembly of the spirocyclic core. This strategy enables the synthesis of functionalized 3H-indoles, which can be further elaborated into structurally diverse products

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

• ring. This work presents an efficient synthetic approach for two structurally complex classes of pentacyclic spiroindolines and tricyclic indoles of pharmacological significance. In 2023, the Liu group reported a controllable cyclization strategy for indole substrates featuring a 1,6-enyne motif, which

• of 1,5-enynes. Ligand-controlled cyclization strategy of alkynylamide tethered alkylidenecyclopropanes. Ag(I)-mediated pathway-controlled cycloisomerization of tryptamine-ynamides. Gold-catalyzed cycloisomerization of indoles with alkynes. Catalyst-dependent cycloisomerization of dienol silyl ethers

• indoles. Geometrical isomeration-dependent cycloisomerization of 1,3-dien-5-ynes. Temperature-controlled cyclization of 1,7-enynes. Cycloisomerizations of n-(o-ethynylaryl)acrylamides through temperature modulation. Temperature-controlled boracyclization of biphenyl-embedded 1,3,5-trien-7-ynes. Funding

Thiadiazino-indole, thiadiazino-carbazole and benzothiadiazino-carbazole dioxides: synthesis, physicochemical and early ADME characterization of representatives of new tri-, tetra- and pentacyclic ring systems and their intermediates

• Gyöngyvér Pusztai,
• László Poszávácz,
• Anna Vincze,
• András Marton,
• Ahmed Qasim Abdulhussein,
• Judit Halász,
• András Dancsó,
• Gyula Simig,
• György Tibor Balogh and
• Balázs Volk

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2220–2233, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.169

• metabolic stability of the most promising derivatives was also determined using human liver microsomes. Keywords: early ADME characterization; Fischer indole cyclization; heterocycles; indoles; lead-likeness; new ring systems; physicochemical characterization; Introduction Considering the published

• synthesis [18][19][20][21]. Sudhakara et al. described the advantages of using bismuth nitrate as catalyst in the synthesis of hydrazones and in the one-pot Fischer synthesis of indoles from ketones and hydrazines [22][23]. Adopting this method, hydrazone intermediates 7a–j were obtained by treatment of

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

• -involved ureas, annulation of o-arylalkynylanilines, cyclization of 2-ethynylanilines, selenocyclization of diselenides with 2-ethynylanilines as well as C–H indolization of 2-alkynylanilines with 3-functionalized indoles. Isoindolones were synthesized successfully by electrochemical annulation of

• reactions of alkynes towards five-membered rings are classified and presented in detail. Based on different types of five-membered rings, electrochemical construction of indoles, isoindolinones, indolizines, oxazoles, imidazoles, pyrroles, imidazoles and 1,2,3-triazoles are summarized and the possible

• systematically. According to different types of five-membered rings, the electrochemical construction of five-membered rings from alkynes are mainly classified into the following categories: (a) construction of indoles, (b) construction of isoindolinones and indolizines, (c) construction of oxazoles and

Convenient alternative synthesis of the Malassezia-derived virulence factor malassezione and related compounds

• Karu Ramesh and
• Stephen L. Bearne

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1730–1736, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.135

• are commensal fungi that constitute the normal skin microbiota but may become pathogenic. These fungi, especially M. furfur, convert tryptophan into various alkaloid indoles such as malassezione, which may serve as virulence factors. To facilitate testing of malassezione as an aryl hydrocarbon

• neurological disorders [7] and possibly other non-skin diseases [5]. These fungi, especially M. furfur, convert tryptophan into various alkaloid indoles such as malassezione (1), malassezin (2), which cyclizes to indolo[3,2-b]carbazole (3), other related indolo[3,2-b]carbazoles (4–7), pityriarubins (8–10), and

• others (11–19) (see Figure 1), which may serve as virulence factors [8][9][10][11][12][13]. Most significantly, some of these indoles have been shown to be potent aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) ligands [8][9][14][15], which can lead to induction of melanocyte apoptosis and inhibition of neutrophil

3-Aryl-2H-azirines as annulation reagents in the Ni(II)-catalyzed synthesis of 1H-benzo[4,5]thieno[3,2-b]pyrroles

• Julia I. Pavlenko,
• Pavel A. Sakharov,
• Anastasiya V. Agafonova,
• Derenik A. Isadzhanyan,
• Alexander F. Khlebnikov and
• Mikhail S. Novikov

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1595–1602, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.123

• reaction, in which 2H-azirines act as the annulation reagent. Keywords: annulation; azirines; benzothiophenes; indoles; nickel catalysis; Introduction 2H-Azirines represent a valuable class of nitrogen heterocycles that are widely used as versatile building blocks in organic synthesis. In particular, the

• reagents for the preparation of 3-aryl-substituted benzo[4,5]thieno[3,2-b]pyrroles by the annulation of the 1H-pyrrole ring to the benzo[b]thiophene system (Scheme 1, reaction 6). The behavior of indoles as aza-analogs of the benzo[b]thiophenes under the identified catalytic annulation conditions is also

• under the Vilsmeier–Haack reaction conditions provided aldehyde 8 in high yield. To further assess the scope and limitations of the developed annulation protocol, we investigated the reactivity of aza-analogs of ester 1, indoles 9a‒c, toward azirine 2a under the same conditions. The reaction of N

High-pressure activation for the solvent- and catalyst-free syntheses of heterocycles, pharmaceuticals and esters

• Kelsey Plasse,
• Valerie Wright,
• Guoshu Xie,
• R. Bernadett Vlocskó,
• Alexander Lazarev and
• Béla Török

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1374–1387, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.102

• Mannich reactions [20], lipase-catalyzed esterification [21], nitro-aldol [22], Michael [23], and aza-Michael reactions [24][25], Diels–Alder reactions [26][27] and Friedel–Crafts alkylation of indoles [28]. Many high pressure reactions were applied in natural product synthesis [29]. The high pressure

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

• indoles. Here, we describe the Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic amination of allylic esters with isatin as a nucleophile using chiral ligand 6 and its derivative 7. Compared to chiral ligand 6, which has a secondary alkyl group (cyclohexyl) as a substituent on the nitrogen and has already been reported

• -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 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

• functionalized indoles. When treated with acid (BF3·E2O), the intermediate 2-methylene-3-aminoindoline 69 undergoes an aza-Cope rearrangement to form 2-benzylindole 70; when treated with a base (Cs2CO3), this intermediate undergoes a 1,3-proton migration process to convert back to 3-aminoindole 71. The possible

• compounds 78 or 79 under ruthenium catalysis, generating indoles 81 and 3H-indoles 80, respectively (Scheme 21) [52]. α-Diazo-β-ketoesters form indoles by cleaving the C(N₂)–C(acyl) bond, while diazomalonates form 3H-indoles through C–N-bond cleavage. Mechanistically, the cyclometalation of iminamides

• decarboxylative amination/hydroamination sequence [48]. Proposed mechanism of copper-catalyzed decarboxylative amination/hydroamination sequence [48]. Enantioselective chemodivergent three-component radical tandem reactions [49]. Substrate-controlled synthesis of indoles and 3H-indoles [52]. Controlled mono- and

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

• electron-withdrawing groups. In 2024, Wang et al. [62] reported an electrochemical method for the synthesis of phosphorylated indoles in the presence of Cp2Fe as the mediator under mild reaction conditions without the need for external oxidants. This method improves the scalability of the resulting

• (Scheme 21). In another attempt, Liu et al. [66] also reported the electrochemical phosphorylation of carbazoles and indoles in the presence of 1,3-dimethylimidazolium iodide (DMMI) as a mediator in the oxidation–reduction process. The reaction proceeded in an undivided cell using cesium carbonate as a

• electrosynthesis report, Gao et al. [55] reported similar P–N coupling reactions of indoles with trialkyl phosphites in the presence of potassium iodide as a mediator and electrolyte. The carbon and platinum electrodes were used as the anode and cathode at a constant current of 5 mA for 6 h in acetonitrile as

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

• (I, Figure 2). This has several implications. For example, if the C–C(F) bond rotates, the orientation of the terminal C–F bond dipole changes, and this can alter the overall dipole moment of the molecule. Indoles 1–3 illustrate this point (Figure 2) [9]. The non-fluorinated indole 1 has an unvarying

Heteroannulations of cyanoacetamide-based MCR scaffolds utilizing formamide

• Marios Zingiridis,
• Danae Papachristodoulou,
• Despoina Menegaki,
• Konstantinos G. Froudas and
• Constantinos G. Neochoritis

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 217–225, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.13

• utilized numerous times in medicinal chemistry campaigns as hits, leads and eventually even drugs, such as 2-aminothiophenes, -quinolines and -indoles [42][43][44][45]. Synthetic exploitation The synthesis of the key cyanoacetamide building blocks was our primary objective. In a parallel setup, a variety

Recent advances in organocatalytic atroposelective reactions

• Henrich Szabados and
• Radovan Šebesta

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 55–121, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.6

• axially chiral pyrroles and indoles 44 are obtained (Scheme 14). Zhu and co-workers developed a method for the atroposelective formation of arenes 48 by an NHC-catalyzed formal (4 + 2) cycloaddition [34]. The triazolium pre-catalyst (R,S)-C11 was the most efficient in providing a range of biaryls in high

• indoles 96 or pyrroles 99 and 1,4 diketones 97, respectively, the authors were able to achieve very good to near-perfect yields with consistently high enantioselectivities. Configurational stabilities of the products 98 and 100 were explored in toluene at 110 °C. Rotational barriers were calculated to be

• -naphthols, new atroposelective reactions of quinones and iminoquinones were developed [63]. The reaction of quinones with an ester group 109 and indoles with alkyl substituents 110 catalyzed by CPA C29 provided products 112 with regioselectivity on the pyrrole ring of indole (Scheme 35). On the contrary

Non-covalent organocatalyzed enantioselective cyclization reactions of α,β-unsaturated imines

• Sergio Torres-Oya and
• Mercedes Zurro

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 3221–3255, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.268

• indoles 52 via a (3 + 2) cyclization with azoalkenes 53 catalyzed by chiral phosphoric acid XIV (Scheme 20). This methodology enables the synthesis of a wide scope of pyrroloindolines 54, important privileged polycyclic indolines in high yields (72–99%) and high enantioselectivities (90–99%) [43]. The

• azlactones. Enantioselective dearomatization of indoles by a (3 + 2) cyclization with azoalkenes catalyzed by a chiral phosphoric acid. Synthetic applicability of the pyrroloindoline derivatives. Chiral phosphoric acid-catalyzed (2 + 3) dearomative cycloaddition of 3-alkyl-2-vinylindoles with azoalkenes

Hypervalent iodine-mediated intramolecular alkene halocyclisation

• Charu Bansal,
• Oliver Ruggles,
• Albert C. Rowett and
• Alastair J. J. Lennox

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 3113–3133, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.258

• cost effective and selective, one-pot transformation. Pharmaceutical uses for bio-active cyclic molecules accessible by I(III) reagents are plentiful; anticancer drugs can be formed from the basis of pyrrolo[2,3-b]indoles 1 [3][4], 2-oxazolines 2 [5][6], dihydrofuran 3 [7][8], and spirocyclic scaffolds

• [2,3-b]indoles 59 were synthesised in up to quantitative yields under mild reaction conditions at room temperature. A range of other indole derivatives were cyclised in similarly good yields demonstrating the scope of the reaction. Li and Liu reported the bromoamidation of alkenes in 2014 (Scheme 32

• source of fluoride and an activating reagent. Intramolecular carbofluorination of alkenes. Intramolecular chlorocyclisation of unsaturated amines. Synthesis of chlorinated cyclic guanidines 44. Synthesis of chlorinated pyrido[2,3-b]indoles 46. Chlorolactonization and chloroetherification reactions

Synthesis of the 1,5-disubstituted tetrazole-methanesulfonylindole hybrid system via high-order multicomponent reaction

• Cesia M. Aguilar-Morales,
• América A. Frías-López,
• Nadia V. Emilio-Velázquez,
• Alejandro Islas-Jácome,
• Angelica Judith Granados-López,
• Jorge Gustavo Araujo-Huitrado,
• Yamilé López-Hernández,
• Hiram Hernández-López,
• Luis Chacón-García,
• Jesús Adrián López and
• Carlos J. Cortés-García

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 3077–3084, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.256

• ; isocyanides; MCF-7 cell line; methanesulfonylindoles; Ugi-azide reaction; Introduction Nitrogen-containing heterocyclic moieties, such as 1,5-disubstituted tetrazoles and indoles, are considered pharmacophoric fragments due to their pivotal interactions with several targets involved in many diseases. They

• described (Scheme 1a–c). In 2021, Dömling’s research group synthesized a series of 1,5-disubstituted tetrazole-indoles 6 in good to excellent yields via an Ugi-azide/acidic ring-closure sequence [20]. Balalaie described an efficient method in 2018 for the synthesis of a new 1,5-disubstituted tetrazole

• -indole system 10, in a two-step reaction: Ugi-azide followed by a cyclization reaction catalyzed by AuCl3, in good to high yields [21]. In 2019, Salahi et al. synthesized the series of tetrazole-indoles 15 via an Ugi-azide reaction in moderate to high yields [22]. It is noteworthy that none of the

Advances in radical peroxidation with hydroperoxides

• Oleg V. Bityukov,
• Pavel Yu. Serdyuchenko,
• Andrey S. Kirillov,
• Gennady I. Nikishin,
• Vera A. Vil’ and
• Alexander O. Terent’ev

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2959–3006, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.249

Copper-catalyzed yne-allylic substitutions: concept and recent developments

• Shuang Yang and
• Xinqiang Fang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2739–2775, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.232

• related to yne-allylic substitutions. Review Copper-catalyzed yne-allylic substitutions affording 1,3- and 1,4-enynes In 2022, Fang et al. [62] realized the copper-catalyzed yne-allylic substitution involving stabilized “soft” nucleophiles for the first time. Indoles and pyrroles with various substituents

• vinyl allenylidene is the key intermediate during the process (Scheme 14). Recently, Fang et al. [67] used electron-rich arenes as the nucleophiles to achieve remote enantioselective control of yne-allylic substitutions. It is worth noting that when indoles or indolizines were used, the reactions

• spiroannulation of 2-naphthols or electron-enriched phenols under mild conditions with excellent regioselectivities, enantioselectivities and diastereoselectivities (Scheme 44, 43a–g, 44a–q). In addition, the nucleophilic substitution–dearomative cyclization process between indoles and yne-allylic esters can also

Synthesis of spiroindolenines through a one-pot multistep process mediated by visible light

• Francesco Gambuti,
• Jacopo Pizzorno,
• Chiara Lambruschini,
• Renata Riva and
• Lisa Moni

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2722–2731, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.230

• -catalyzed protocol to obtain spiro[benzo[e][1,3]oxazine-2,3’-indoles] starting from 2-alkynylphenyl azides and 1,2-benzisoxazoles [12] (Scheme 1b). However, all these processes generally involve the preparation of starting materials, often not trivial. On the other hand, in 2018 Aksenov and Rubin reported

• the acid-catalyzed [4 + 1] cycloaddition of commercially available substrates, as indoles and nitroalkenes to give spiro-isoxazoles (Scheme 1c), but acceptable yields were obtained just using nitrostyrenes [13][14]. Despite these examples, the highly efficient construction of structurally diverse

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

• , which reported the merger of electrochemistry and bioconjugation in 2018 (Scheme 4b) [11]. In 2020, Zheng and coworkers developed an interesting iodoamination of indoles using unactivated amines and benzotriazoles [12]. This difunctionalization reaction was carried out in an undivided cell with an RVC

• functionalized pyrimido[5,4-b]indoles due to its high functional group tolerance. Multiple examples were demonstrated with indole 1H-carboxamides linked to drug molecules or natural products at the R2 position. Additionally, an alkyl azide at the R2 position and an iodide at the R1 position were tolerated

Asymmetric organocatalytic synthesis of chiral homoallylic amines

• Nikolay S. Kondratyev and
• Andrei V. Malkov

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2349–2377, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.201

• as an activator. Interesting examples of a direct asymmetric allylation of indoles 15 (Scheme 4) and 3,4-dihydroisoquinolines 22 (Scheme 5) with geranyl- and prenylboronic acids 14 in the presence of BINOL derivatives were reported by Szabó [25]. In the case of 3-methylindole, the methodology enabled

• reversible coordination of BINOLs 13 or 21 to the prenyl- or geranylboronic acids 14, favouring one of the four possible chair-like transition states. The reaction scope for indoles 15 was demonstrated on a limited set of 5-methoxyindole, 5-bromoindole, and 4-indolyl-pinacol boronates reacting with E- and Z

• . 3,3’-Diaryl-BINOL-catalysed asymmetric organocatalytic allylation of acylimines [24]. Aminophenol-catalysed reaction between N-phosphinoylimines and pinacol allylboronic ester. Imine scope [6]. aReaction time: 6 h. Asymmetric geranylation and prenylation of indoles catalysed by (R)- or (S)-3,3

Efficacy of radical reactions of isocyanides with heteroatom radicals in organic synthesis

• Akiya Ogawa and
• Yuki Yamamoto

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2114–2128, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.182

• acid [58]. Rainier et al. reported the thiol-mediated 5-exo cyclization of o-alkynylaryl isocyanides, which successfully afforded dithiolated indoles 22 (Scheme 15) [59]. However, depending on the reaction conditions, quinoline derivatives were also produced as byproducts (vide infra). The photoinduced

Multicomponent syntheses of pyrazoles via (3 + 2)-cyclocondensation and (3 + 2)-cycloaddition key steps

• Ignaz Betcke,
• Alissa C. Götzinger,
• Maryna M. Kornet and
• Thomas J. J. Müller

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2024–2077, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.178

Negishi-coupling-enabled synthesis of α-heteroaryl-α-amino acid building blocks for DNA-encoded chemical library applications

• Matteo Gasparetto,
• Balázs Fődi and
• Gellért Sipos

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1922–1932, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.168

• , this approach was applied to the synthesis of N-substituted pyrazoles and poly-substituted isothiazoles [24][25]. Glycine derivatives can be reacted with indoles using copper catalysis or metallophotoredox catalysis [26]. Le et al. reported the use of the same approach for imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines [27

Solvent-dependent chemoselective synthesis of different isoquinolinones mediated by the hypervalent iodine(III) reagent PISA

• Ze-Nan Hu,
• Yan-Hui Wang,
• Jia-Bing Wu,
• Ze Chen,
• Dou Hong and
• Chi Zhang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1914–1921, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.167

• zwitterionic water-soluble hypervalent iodine reagent (phenyliodonio)sulfamate (PISA). In water, PISA is strongly acidic, and the pH value can reach 2.05 in a saturated aqueous solution. With PISA, various indoles have been synthesized via C–H amination of 2-alkenylanilines involving an aryl migration