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

• (CuCl2, NaNO2, TEMPO) using molecular oxygen as a terminal oxidant have also been used [12]. Nevertheless, neither of these conditions was successful when they were applied to methanol to generate formaldehyde, because overoxidation is an important side reaction in these cases [12][13][14][15]. However

Red light excitation: illuminating photocatalysis in a new spectrum

• Lucas Fortier,
• Corentin Lefebvre and
• Norbert Hoffmann

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 296–326, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.22

• this review hitherto. This singlet oxygen is generated by the energy transfer from the excited state of the phthalocyanin zinc complexes to molecular oxygen, allowing the oxidation of the N-phenyltetrahydroisoquinoline 21 into a reactive iminium intermediate that subsequently couples with nucleophiles

• light (λ = 750 nm), followed by triplet energy transfer to molecular oxygen, generating singlet oxygen as the active species. Similarly as in the case of the Furuyama et al. study, the singlet oxygen subsequently oxidizes the amine substrate to an iminium ion, which reacts with a cyanide nucleophile to

Advances in the use of metal-free tetrapyrrolic macrocycles as catalysts

• Mandeep K. Chahal

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 3085–3112, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.257

• photochemistry, porphyrins are mainly used for the generation of singlet oxygen (1O2) or other reactive oxygen species. Porphyrins in the triplet excited state can relax to the ground state by transferring energy to molecular oxygen (triplet state) forming 1O2 (Figure 13b) [67]. Photosensitized singlet oxygen

Natural resorcylic lactones derived from alternariol

• Joachim Podlech

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

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

• sodium hydride, yielding moderate yields (ranging from 23% to 68%). The cyclization initially formed the non-isolated intermediate i, which was oxidized by molecular oxygen from air, introducing the hydroxy group at the α-position of the cyano group. The protocol utilised mild conditions and short

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

• dearomatization of 33 via enantioselective hydroxylation using molecular oxygen and generates cyclohexadienone 34. As demonstrated by Corey [36] and Nicolaou [37], highly reactive intermediate 34 likely dimerizes non-enzymatically through stepwise reactions involving (1) an initial intermolecular Michael addition

Oxidation of benzylic alcohols to carbonyls using N-heterocyclic stabilized λ³-iodanes

• Thomas J. Kuczmera,
• Pim Puylaert and
• Boris J. Nachtsheim

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1677–1683, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.149

• easily overoxidized to carboxylic acids. Over the past decades a variety of methods have been developed, utilizing toxic heavy metals such as pyridinium dichromate (PDC) [3][4][5] or manganese dioxide (Figure 1) [6][7]. Molecular oxygen [8] and peroxides [9][10] can also be used as inexpensive terminal

Cofactor-independent C–C bond cleavage reactions catalyzed by the AlpJ family of oxygenases in atypical angucycline biosynthesis

• Jinmin Gao,
• Liyuan Li,
• Shijie Shen,
• Guomin Ai,
• Bin Wang,
• Fang Guo,
• Tongjian Yang,
• Hui Han,
• Zhengren Xu,
• Guohui Pan and
• Keqiang Fan

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1198–1206, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.102

• -dependent reactions of AlpJ-family oxygenases. Furthermore, the AlpJ- and JadG-catalyzed reactions of CR1 could be quenched by superoxide dismutase, supporting a catalytic mechanism wherein the substrate CR1 reductively activates molecular oxygen, generating a substrate radical and the superoxide anion O2

• -Orf6, the substrates were able to reductively activate molecular oxygen, thereby enabling subsequent oxidation reactions [21][22][23][24]. However, in the documented reactions of AlpJ-family oxygenases, the substrate 1 appeared insufficient in providing the requisite reducing power, considering the

• conditions [25]. This observation not only affirmed 8 as an intermediate in jadomycin biosynthesis but also suggested a role as a more electron-rich substrate with the potential for direct activation of molecular oxygen. We first confirmed the generation of 8 in the biosynthetic pathway of kinamycin. The

Light on the sustainable preparation of aryl-cored dibromides

• Fabrizio Roncaglia,
• Alberto Ughetti,
• Nicola Porcelli,
• Biagio Anderlini,
• Andrea Severini and
• Luca Rigamonti

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1076–1087, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.95

• process, the residual halogen (if any) can decompose hydrogen peroxide into molecular oxygen (Equation 4) [45]. Over the years, various peroxide-bromide processes have been developed based on this chemistry. In particular, significant attention has been given to the preparation of benzyl (mono)bromides

Recent developments in the engineered biosynthesis of fungal meroterpenoids

• Zhiyang Quan and
• Takayoshi Awakawa

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 578–588, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.50

• the αKG-dependent dioxygenase have been analyzed in detail due to its relatively small molecular weight and the low costs of its cofactors: αKG, ascorbic acid, and iron ions. The αKG reacts with iron and molecular oxygen to form the highly reactive Fe(IV)=O via oxidative decarboxylation. This active

Photoinduced in situ generation of DNA-targeting ligands: DNA-binding and DNA-photodamaging properties of benzo[c]quinolizinium ions

• Julika Schlosser,
• Olga Fedorova,
• Yuri Fedorov and
• Heiko Ihmels

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 101–117, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.11

• species (ROS), such peroxyl, alkoxy and hydroxyl radicals, or carbon-centered radicals, which subsequently induce DNA strand cleavage. In the type-II mechanism, a triplet-excited photosensitizer reacts with molecular oxygen to give highly reactive singlet oxygen, 1O2, as reactive intermediate, which in

Radical chemistry in polymer science: an overview and recent advances

• Zixiao Wang,
• Feichen Cui,
• Yang Sui and
• Jiajun Yan

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1580–1603, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.116

• , such as organic peroxides, hydrogen peroxide, persulfates undergo homolysis of O–O bonds generating radicals that can break C–H bonds followed by a hydrogen abstraction reaction. Phenolic compounds can be oxidized by molecular oxygen in the presence of laccase, and the resulting phenolic radical reacts

Non-noble metal-catalyzed cross-dehydrogenation coupling (CDC) involving ether α-C(sp³)–H to construct C–C bonds

• Hui Yu and
• Feng Xu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1259–1288, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.94

• -chain alkyl ethers in the presence of DBU under relatively mild conditions (Scheme 29b) [92]. In 2018, Wang et al. developed the cobalt-catalyzed oxidative CDC reaction of 2-arylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines with isochroman using molecular oxygen as an oxidant (Scheme 30) [93]. These reactions involved a

Honeycomb reactor: a promising device for streamlining aerobic oxidation under continuous-flow conditions

• Masahiro Hosoya,
• Yusuke Saito and
• Yousuke Horiuchi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 752–763, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.55

• , which diminishes the atom economy [2]. To overcome this limitation, the use of molecular oxygen (O2) present in air as an oxidant is one of the ideal solutions [10][11]. The reduction of O2 generates only water as a byproduct, leading to high atom-economy processes. However, the use of O2 as an oxidant

• [15][16]. A compact and closed system improves the process safety of handling molecular oxygen by eliminating unexpected ignition. The safety advantage stimulates the development of various aerobic oxidation processes under continuous-flow conditions accompanied by dedicated devices such as tube-in

Redox-active molecules as organocatalysts for selective oxidative transformations – an unperceived organocatalysis field

• Elena R. Lopat’eva,
• Igor B. Krylov,
• Dmitry A. Lapshin and
• Alexander O. Terent’ev

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 1672–1695, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.179

• oxidized by molecular oxygen to the phthalimide-N-oxyl radical (PINO) at room temperature and atmospheric oxygen pressure. The NHPI/Co(OAc)2 combination [78][79][80], also known as the Ishii catalytic system is one of the most effective in organic synthesis for the room temperature [78][79] aerobic

• were used as redox-active organocatalysts for the oxidative coupling of aryl- and alkenylmagnesium compounds employing molecular oxygen as the terminal oxidant [154] (Scheme 38). Frustrated Lewis pairs (FLP) have gained much attention in the last decade due to unique reactivity, such as metal-free H2

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenase-mediated tailoring of triterpenoids and steroids in plants

• Karan Malhotra and
• Jakob Franke

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 1289–1310, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.135

• identity can display almost identical biochemical activity. Enzymatic mechanism As monooxygenases, CYPs catalyse the transfer of a single oxygen atom from molecular oxygen to their substrates (Figure 1A). Decades of research on CYPs led to detailed insights into their mechanistic properties based on a

• variety of biochemical, biophysical and computational methods [17][18][19][20][21]. Key for the oxidative chemistry performed by CYPs is a heme prosthetic group that activates molecular oxygen using electrons from an electron donor such as NADPH. A central Fe(III) ion is coordinated by the heme porphyrine

• charge, can then efficiently bind molecular oxygen (step 3), leading to dioxygen adduct D. Transfer of an additional electron from a reducing partner such as cytochrome P450 reductase (step 4) generates peroxo intermediate E, which upon protonation (step 5) gives hydroperoxo intermediate F, also called

Electro-conversion of cumene into acetophenone using boron-doped diamond electrodes

• Mana Kitano,
• Tsuyoshi Saitoh,
• Shigeru Nishiyama,
• Yasuaki Einaga and
• Takashi Yamamoto

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 1154–1158, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.119

• hydroperoxide/dicumyl peroxide/phenol from cumene, acetophenone from ethylbenzene, and others. Generally, molecular oxygen has been utilized in the straightforward oxidation of aromatic alkyls. However, since molecular oxygen is highly stable, activation of the molecular oxygen itself is necessary, which

• not residual water in MeCN, but dissolved oxygen. The role of dissolved oxygen was further investigated. As the reaction did not proceed without electricity, it is suggested that the superoxide generated on the cathode is involved in the reaction, rather than dissolved molecular oxygen itself

First example of organocatalysis by cathodic N-heterocyclic carbene generation and accumulation using a divided electrochemical flow cell

• Daniele Rocco,
• Ana A. Folgueiras-Amador,
• Richard C. D. Brown and
• Marta Feroci

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 979–990, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.98

• molecular oxygen, or electrochemically generated superoxide (cathodic reduction of O2), which oxidize the Breslow intermediate [30][39]. In fact, the presence of some reactive oxygen species in the reaction environment was previously demonstrated by the formation of compound 1b (see Table 1). IL Recycling

Synthesis of odorants in flow and their applications in perfumery

• Merlin Kleoff,
• Paul Kiler and
• Philipp Heretsch

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 754–768, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.76

• ) with molecular oxygen at elevated temperatures providing (+)-nootkatone (8) in 10% yield (Scheme 2). In this setup, neat (+)-valencene (7) is mixed with a stream of oxygen resulting in the formation of a segmented gas–liquid flow. In segmented flow a higher surface-to-volume ratio is achieved and

• state of the decatungstate anion generates carbon-centered radical 48 which is trapped in a segmented flow with molecular oxygen provided by a mass flow controller. Peroxide 49 is formed as intermediate which further reacts to phthalide (50) in 71% yield. This method efficiently utilizes the advantages

• molecules, to macrocyclic musks with higher molar masses and boiling points. In flow, photocatalyzed oxidations with molecular oxygen proceed in higher yields and with shorter reaction times, as it has been used for the synthesis of, e.g., phthalide (50). In contrast, when ethylene is formed in a ring

Structural basis for endoperoxide-forming oxygenases

• Takahiro Mori and
• Ikuro Abe

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 707–721, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.71

• spin density is distributed over C13–C15. The allyl radical at C15 reacts with a second molecular oxygen to afford the C15 peroxyl radical. Finally, the transfer of a hydrogen atom from the catalytic Tyr385 residue quenches the C15 peroxyl radical to yield PGG2 and a tyrosyl radical for the next round

• Tyr224 to form a tyrosyl radical, which abstracts a hydrogen atom from C21 of fumitremorgin B to generate a radical intermediate. The insertion of molecular oxygen at C21 produces a C21 peroxyl radical intermediate, which then reacts with the C26–C27 double bond on another prenyl group to generate the

• tyrosyl radical, first abstracts a hydrogen atom from C21 to form a substrate radical intermediate. The following reaction with molecular oxygen and the formation of an endoperoxide bridge generate the C26 radical intermediate. Finally, HAT from Tyr68 produces verruculogen and a tyrosyl radical at Tyr68

Inductive heating and flow chemistry – a perfect synergy of emerging enabling technologies

• Conrad Kuhwald,
• Sibel Türkhan and
• Andreas Kirschning

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 688–706, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.70

• continuous process could be established by oxidation with molecular oxygen introduced into the reaction stream via a tube-in-tube membrane reactor, a process which should be very attractive for industrial applications, as oxygen or air act as cheap and environmentally friendly oxidants [82]. An interesting

Rapid gas–liquid reaction in flow. Continuous synthesis and production of cyclohexene oxide

• Kyoko Mandai,
• Tetsuya Yamamoto,
• Hiroki Mandai and
• Aiichiro Nagaki

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 660–668, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.67

• oxidation, a combination of molecular oxygen and aldehydes as a sacrificial agent has been widely studied [9]. However, in general, such a reaction in batch is slow due to the difficulties of performing a gas–liquid reaction in a batch reactor [10]. In addition, even valuable catalysts could not accelerate

Menadione: a platform and a target to valuable compounds synthesis

• Acácio S. de Souza,
• Ruan Carlos B. Ribeiro,
• Dora C. S. Costa,
• Fernanda P. Pauli,
• David R. Pinho,
• Matheus G. de Moraes,
• Fernando de C. da Silva,
• Luana da S. M. Forezi and
• Vitor F. Ferreira

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 381–419, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.43

• -methylnaphthol (17) to menadione (10) are quite similar to those employed for the oxidation of 2-methylnaphthalene (16) using H2O2, molecular oxygen, and tert-butyl hydroperoxide as oxidizing agents. Similar to the oxidation of compound 16, it is possible to oxidize 2-methylnaphthol (17) with H2O2 to produce

• heteropoly acids [71], molecular oxygen [72][73], and organic peroxides [74]. Matveev and co-workers studied phosphomolybdovanadium heteropoly acids of Keggin-type with the general structure H3+nPMo12-nVnO40 (HPA-n) and their acidic salts as reversibly acting oxidants to convert 17 to 10 (Table 2, entry 8

• also reported the oxidation of 2-methylnaphthol (17) using molecular oxygen in the presence of gold nanoparticles as catalyst and the best yield of menadione (10) was obtained using 1.5% Au/TiO2 as catalyst (57%, Table 2, entry 9), while the best conversion of 17 was furnished using 1% Au/C-2 catalyst

Recent advances and perspectives in ruthenium-catalyzed cyanation reactions

• Thaipparambil Aneeja,
• Cheriya Mukkolakkal Abdulla Afsina,
• Padinjare Veetil Saranya and
• Gopinathan Anilkumar

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 37–52, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.4

• the cyanation reaction. This strategy utilized eco-friendly hydrogen peroxide and molecular oxygen as the oxidant system. This method was found highly favorable to tertiary amines with electron-donating substituents. The first report on an MCM-41-immobilized N-alkylethylenediamine Ru(III) complex (MCM

• interesting ruthenium-catalyzed oxidative cyanation of tertiary amines using molecular oxygen was reported by Murahashi and co-workers [32]. This RuCl3·nH2O-catalyzed protocol used NaCN in acetic acid as the cyano source, methanol as the solvent under molecular oxygen at 60 °C for 1–2 h (Scheme 7). The

• , molecular oxygen as the oxidant, and TiO2-immobilized ruthenium(II) polyazine complex as the heterogeneous photoredox catalyst in methanol at room temperature (Table 1). The substrate scope studies revealed a better reactivity of aromatic tertiary amines substituted with electron-donating groups compared to

α-Ketol and α-iminol rearrangements in synthetic organic and biosynthetic reactions

• Scott Benz and
• Andrew S. Murkin

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 2570–2584, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.172

• 64 (Figure 14b) [20][21]. The other enzyme believed to catalyze an α-ketol rearrangement is AuaG, which is a monooxygenase that uses FAD and molecular oxygen to convert aurachin C (66) to 69 (Figure 14c) [22]. Subsequent reduction and dehydration by AuaH produces aurachin B (71). While the above are