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

• DMSO (Scheme 12) [45]. In this case, the reaction works well under metal-free conditions using iodine as the catalyst. Remarkably, the activation of DMSO was accomplished using Selectfluor, and in this case, DMSO is the source of a C-1 unit. It is important to note that the reaction could be performed

Synthesis, characterization, and photophysical properties of novel 9‑phenyl-9-phosphafluorene oxide derivatives

• Shuxian Qiu,
• Duan Dong,
• Jiahui Li,
• Huiting Wen,
• Jinpeng Li,
• Yu Yang,
• Shengxian Zhai and
• Xingyuan Gao

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 3299–3305, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.274

• , starting from commercially available 2-bromo-4-fluoro-1-nitrobenzene under noble-metal-free conditions. The structures and photophysical properties of the desired molecules were also determined. Results and Discussion Synthesis and structural characterization The synthesis of the PhFlOP-based compounds 7

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

• peroxidation of 31 with the formation of products 32 can be achieved as both using Cu-catalysis and in metal-free conditions (Scheme 13). The metal-free peroxidation with TBHP was also demonstrated using 3,4-dihydro-1,4-benzoxazin-2-ones 33 as substrates (Scheme 13) [54]. The assumed mechanism of the target

• product 32 formation is similar to the metal-catalyzed peroxidation described in Scheme 12 in the case of using the Cu(II)/TBHP oxidation system. Under metal-free conditions the tert-butoxy radical A is probably formed via homolytic thermal decomposition of TBHP. Recently, the electrochemical generation

• in situ-generated Cu(I) complexes was developed (Scheme 23) [43]. 2-Phenylbutane (64) was converted into peroxide 65 in a 70% yield with 4% ee. A visible light-induced direct decarboxylative peroxidation of carboxylic acids 66 with the formation of peroxides 67 under metal-free conditions using Mes

Recent advances in transition-metal-free arylation reactions involving hypervalent iodine salts

• Ritu Mamgain,
• Kokila Sakthivel and
• Fateh V. Singh

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2891–2920, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.243

• unsymmetrical forms of these salts serve as effective electrophilic arylating reagents in various organic syntheses. The use of diaryliodoniums in C–C and carbon–heteroatom bond formations, particularly under metal-free conditions, has further enhanced the popularity of these reagents. In this review, we

• five to seven-membered cyclic compounds [47]. Arylation reactions using diaryliodonium salts can occur through four distinct mechanisms. First, the arylation can occur under metal-free conditions, involving the formation of a three-membered ring transition state through ligand coupling, leading to the

• overview of arylation of carbon and heteroatom substrates via diaryliodonium salts in metal-free conditions. This review emphasizes the significance and potential of DIASs in contemporary organic chemistry. Review C-Arylation Over the past decade, there has been a surge of interest in metal-catalyzed C

Transition-metal-free synthesis of arylboronates via thermal generation of aryl radicals from triarylbismuthines in air

• Yuki Yamamoto,
• Yuki Konakazawa,
• Kohsuke Fujiwara and
• Akiya Ogawa

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2577–2584, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.216

• , the development of new synthetic methods of arylboronates using stable and versatile reagents under transition-metal-free conditions has recently attracted much attention [23][24][25][26][27]. In particular, the use of radical reactions has been considered as one of the effective methods, since

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

Synthesis of 4-functionalized pyrazoles via oxidative thio- or selenocyanation mediated by PhICl₂ and NH₄SCN/KSeCN

• Jialiang Wu,
• Haofeng Shi,
• Xuemin Li,
• Jiaxin He,
• Chen Zhang,
• Fengxia Sun and
• Yunfei Du

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1453–1461, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.128

• , Yotphan and colleagues realized a direct thiocyanation of N-substituted pyrazolones under metal-free conditions [49]. Besides, Choudhury and co-workers developed an additive and metal-free methodology for the C–H thiocyanation of aminopyrazoles, using H2O2 as a benign oxidizing agent (Scheme 1b) [41]. Pan

Nucleophilic functionalization of thianthrenium salts under basic conditions

• Xinting Fan,
• Duo Zhang,
• Xiangchuan Xiu,
• Bin Xu,
• Yu Yuan,
• Feng Chen and
• Pan Gao

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 257–263, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.26

• -free conditions. This strategy exhibits good functional-group tolerance, operational simplicity, and an extensive range of compatible substrates. Keywords: amination; functionalization of alcohol; metal-free; S-(alkyl)thianthrenium salts; thioetherification; Introduction Sulfonium salts [1][2][3][4

• Abstract In recent years, S-(alkyl)thianthrenium salts have become an important means of functionalizing alcohol compounds. However, additional transition metal catalysts and/or visible light are required. Herein, a direct thioetherification/amination reaction of thianthrenium salts is realized under metal

Metal-catalyzed coupling/carbonylative cyclizations for accessing dibenzodiazepinones: an expedient route to clozapine and other drugs

• Amina Moutayakine and
• Anthony J. Burke

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 193–204, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.19

• carbonylative intramolecular cyclization of the intermediate 3a using different catalytic systems. To elucidate the role of the palladium catalyst in this process, we carried out the initial attempt under metal free-conditions using molybdenum hexacarbonyl (Mo(CO)6) as CO surrogate, in the presence of Et3N in

N-Sulfenylsuccinimide/phthalimide: an alternative sulfenylating reagent in organic transformations

• Fatemeh Doraghi,
• Seyedeh Pegah Aledavoud,
• Mehdi Ghanbarlou,
• Bagher Larijani and
• Mohammad Mahdavi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1471–1502, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.106

• thiolating reagent was used by another research team for the arylthiolation of arylamines 76 in acetonitrile as a solvent under metal-free conditions (Scheme 66) [96]. A broad spectrum of mono-, or diarylthiolated anilines 153 was obtained in low to excellent yields. Arylthiolation occurred predominantly at

Exploring the role of halogen bonding in iodonium ylides: insights into unexpected reactivity and reaction control

• Carlee A. Montgomery and
• Graham K. Murphy

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1171–1190, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.86

• conditions, and offered a related mechanistic proposal (Figure 5, right) for the formation of 20 [110]. Given that their reaction proceeded almost equally well under metal-free conditions as under Rh2(OAc)4 catalysis (3.5 h, 40 °C, 31% 20), and that free carbene formation was unlikely at this temperature

• reductive elimination of iodobenzene to give 11 (Figure 5, left). This was also the pathway subsequently suggested by Gallos et al. [116] for the synthesis of 13/14 from 12. In 2003, Hadjiarapoglou further investigated the intermolecular reaction between 8 and cyclopentene under thermal, metal-free

Functionalization of imidazole N-oxide: a recent discovery in organic transformations

• Koustav Singha,
• Imran Habib and
• Mossaraf Hossain

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 1575–1588, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.168

• , like cycloaddition, metal-free coupling reactions, three-component or multicomponent reactions etc., which use N-oxide chemistry. In 2021 Timofey D. Moseev and co-workers unfolded an attractive procedure of the coupling reaction between 2H-imidazole 1-oxides and polyphenols under metal-free conditions

• substitution reactions Metal-free coupling reaction through nucleophilic substitution of H-atom (SNH) In 2020, a C–H/C–Li coupling reaction between 2H-imidazole 1-oxides and pentafluorophenyllithium under transition metal-free conditions was reported by Timofey D. Moseev and co-workers [17]. The reaction

• chlorinating agent to synthesize pharmacologically important 2-chloroimidazoles under solvent- and metal-free conditions [19]. This reaction process is expeditious and proceeds at room temperature providing excellent yields of the products with a wide substrate scope. The optimized conditions were found to be

Dissecting Mechanochemistry III

• Lars Borchardt and
• José G. Hernández

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 1454–1456, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.150

• were also key reagents to develop the mechanochemical halogenation of azobenzenes as studied by Ćurić and co-workers [4]. They demonstrated how, depending on the azobenzene structure, the halogenation of the C–H bonds with NBX occurred in the presence of Pd(II) catalysts or under metal-free conditions

Methodologies for the synthesis of quaternary carbon centers via hydroalkylation of unactivated olefins: twenty years of advances

• Thiago S. Silva and
• Fernando Coelho

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 1565–1590, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.112

• radicals via hydrogen atom transfer reactions. In 2018, the Renaud group proposed an elegant solution to circumvent this problem by employing 4-tert-butylcatechol (TBC) as an external hydrogen atom source to regenerate the starting material under transition-metal-free conditions [118]. Employing α-EWG

Synthesis of β-triazolylenones via metal-free desulfonylative alkylation of N-tosyl-1,2,3-triazoles

• Soumyaranjan Pati,
• Renata G. Almeida,
• Eufrânio N. da Silva Júnior and
• Irishi N. N. Namboothiri

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 762–770, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.66

• , MG, Brazil 10.3762/bjoc.17.66 Abstract Desulfonylative alkylation of N-tosyl-1,2,3-triazoles under metal-free conditions leading to β-triazolylenones is reported here. The present study encompasses the synthesis of triazoles with a new substitution pattern in a single step from cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyl

• -triazoles with alkynes and Rh catalysed N1 and N2 selective alkylations [24][25]. As for metal-free approaches, besides synthesizing N-alkylated triazoles via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of alkyl azide with enols generated from carbonyl compounds under transition metal-free conditions [26], a direct

• functionalization of triazoles under metal-free conditions has been reported. These include the Broensted acid-catalysed N2 alkylation [27], organocatalytic N1 alkylation [28][29], N2-arylation using hypervalent iodine (Scheme 1c) [30], N2-alkylation involving radical intermediate [31], pyridine-N-oxide-mediated N1

1,2,3-Triazoles as leaving groups: S_NAr reactions of 2,6-bistriazolylpurines with O- and C-nucleophiles

• Dace Cīrule,
• Irina Novosjolova,
• Ērika Bizdēna and
• Māris Turks

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 410–419, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.37

• its HSQC spectrum, in which a cross peak clearly indicated the C(2’’)–H system. Conclusion The SNAr reactivity of 2,6-bis(1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)purine derivatives was extended with their substitution with O- and C-nucleophiles. The reactions proceeded under transition metal free conditions and revealed

Metal-free synthesis of biarenes via photoextrusion in di(tri)aryl phosphates

• Hisham Qrareya,
• Lorenzo Meazza,
• Stefano Protti and
• Maurizio Fagnoni

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 3008–3014, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.250

• nowadays a growing interest in the forging of Ar–Ar bonds under transition-metal-free conditions [24][25]. Apart the most common pathways, e.g., the Friedel–Crafts functionalization [26] or nucleophilic aromatic substitution [27], alternative approaches have emerged that make use of photogenerated

Metal-free synthesis of phosphinoylchroman-4-ones via a radical phosphinoylation–cyclization cascade mediated by K₂S₂O₈

• Qiang Liu,
• Weibang Lu,
• Guanqun Xie and
• Xiaoxia Wang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 1974–1982, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.164

• under metal-free conditions and uses cheap K2S2O8 as oxidant with easy handling and a broad substrate scope. The reaction proceeds through a radical phosphinoylation–cyclization via a tandem C–P and C–C-bond formation. Biologically active compounds featuring the chroman-4-one framework. X-ray structure

Photocatalyzed syntheses of phenanthrenes and their aza-analogues. A review

• Alessandra Del Tito,
• Havall Othman Abdulla,
• Davide Ravelli,
• Stefano Protti and
• Maurizio Fagnoni

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 1476–1488, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.123

• exploited for the construction of phenanthridine 6-carboxylates (Scheme 12). Notably, the process occurred in water under metal-free conditions in the presence of rose bengal (5 mol %) and made use of molecular oxygen as the terminal oxidant. Thus, N-biarylglycine esters 12.1a–d promoted the reductive

Photophysics and photochemistry of NIR absorbers derived from cyanines: key to new technologies based on chemistry 4.0

• Bernd Strehmel,
• Christian Schmitz,
• Ceren Kütahya,
• Yulian Pang,
• Anke Drewitz and
• Heinz Mustroph

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 415–444, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.40

• shown to realize photoinitiated controlled/living radical polymerization of various monomers in metal free conditions. In the visible region, several dyes (fluorescein, eosin Y, erythrosin B) worked well to mediate ATRP in the presence of amines [72]. The reversibility of the electron transfer steps

Construction of trisubstituted chromone skeletons carrying electron-withdrawing groups via PhIO-mediated dehydrogenation and its application to the synthesis of frutinone A

• Qiao Li,
• Chen Zhuang,
• Donghua Wang,
• Wei Zhang,
• Rongxuan Jia,
• Fengxia Sun,
• Yilin Zhang and
• Yunfei Du

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2958–2965, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.291

• , PhIO has never been utilized for the dehydrogenative oxidation reaction. In this letter, we report a facile PhIO-mediated dehydrogenation of chromanones, resulting in the efficient synthesis of biologically interesting chromone compounds under metal-free conditions. Results and Discussion We initially

Friedel–Crafts approach to the one-pot synthesis of methoxy-substituted thioxanthylium salts

• Kenta Tanaka,
• Yuta Tanaka,
• Mami Kishimoto,
• Yujiro Hoshino and
• Kiyoshi Honda

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2105–2112, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.208

• . Keywords: Friedel–Crafts reaction; metal-free conditions; one-pot synthesis; photoredox catalyst; thioxanthylium salt; Introduction Thioxanthylium salts are one of the important structural motifs found in biologically active compounds and photochemical materials [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. Owing to these

Synthesis of benzo[d]imidazo[2,1-b]benzoselenoazoles: Cs₂CO₃-mediated cyclization of 1-(2-bromoaryl)benzimidazoles with selenium

• Mio Matsumura,
• Yuki Kitamura,
• Arisa Yamauchi,
• Yoshitaka Kanazawa,
• Yuki Murata,
• Tadashi Hyodo,
• Kentaro Yamaguchi and
• Shuji Yasuike

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2029–2035, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.199

• metal catalyst. We present in this paper the synthesis of benzo[d]imidazo[2,1-b]benzoselenoazoles under transition metal-free conditions by the Cs2CO3-mediated cyclization of 1-(2-bromoaryl)benzimidazoles with selenium. Results and Discussion We initially focused our attention on determining the optimal

Oxidative radical ring-opening/cyclization of cyclopropane derivatives

• Yu Liu,
• Qiao-Lin Wang,
• Zan Chen,
• Cong-Shan Zhou,
• Bi-Quan Xiong,
• Pan-Liang Zhang,
• Chang-An Yang and
• Quan Zhou

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 256–278, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.23

• cyclization under transition-metal free conditions. With the addition of a radical scavenger such as TEMPO or BHT, the reaction was suppressed remarkably. In the same year, Dai’s group also reported the ring-opening-initiated tandem cyclization of cyclopropanols 91 with acrylamides 122 or 2-isocyanobiphenyls

• transformation proceeded under transition-metal-free conditions with high selectivity and yields. A series of substituents such as methoxy, dimethoxy, trimethoxy, methyl, chloro, bromo, and fluoro on the aromatic ring of cyclopropanols were tolerated well. The mechanism is outlined in Scheme 35. A β

Hypervalent organoiodine compounds: from reagents to valuable building blocks in synthesis

• Gwendal Grelier,
• Benjamin Darses and
• Philippe Dauban

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 1508–1528, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.128

• been further extended to the synthesis of a new series of molecules 77, where the central thiophene moiety is replaced by a 6-membered heterocycle, which is substituted by a gem-dimethyl or a cyclopropyl group. In this case, the reaction can be performed under metal-free conditions in the presence of a