Biobased carbon dots as photoreductants – an investigation by using triarylsulfonium salts

• Valentina Benazzi,
• Arianna Bini,
• Ilaria Bertuol,
• Mariangela Novello,
• Federica Baldi,
• Matteo Hoch,
• Alvise Perosa and
• Stefano Protti

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1024–1030, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.84

• photooxidant or photoreductant in the presence of a suitable electron donor or acceptor [18], and these properties have been exploited in procedures for the formation of both C–C and C–heteroatom bonds [18][19]. Our research groups recently focused on the application of CDs in light-mediated organic synthesis

• have been considered as a promising source of aryl radicals and employed in organic synthesis [20][21][22][23][26][27][28][29][30][31][32]. This investigation aims to compare the performance of CDs prepared from several carbon precursors including citric acid, glucose, and organic waste materials via

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

• followed by deprotection completed the total synthesis, giving rise to (−)-cephalocyclidin A in 10 steps from known compounds. Conclusion In summary, the perception of enamides as stable chemical entities with limited utilities in organic synthesis has evolved, and these compounds are now widely used in

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

• generate cyclosiloxanes. An alternative pathway involving cleavage of another Si–O bond during the conversion from 55 to 56 and subsequently to 57 cannot be excluded. Temperature control Temperature, as a readily adjustable physical parameter in organic synthesis, offers a simple and versatile approach to

• , while the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of different reductive elimination intermediates jointly determine the switchable site selectivity. Acid–base control The strategic modulation of acid–base interactions has emerged as a powerful paradigm in organic synthesis, enabling precise control over

• radical anion, followed by cyclization and dehydration to yield bicyclic product 76. Substrate control Substrate control has emerged as a powerful strategy in organic synthesis, enabling precise manipulation of reaction pathways and stereochemical outcomes through the intrinsic structural and electronic

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

• considering recent advances enabling subsequent intramolecular H-atom abstraction [51] and efficient rearrangements [73][74]. A) Energy transfer catalysis of alkenes in organic synthesis. B) Energy transfer catalysis of conjugated borylated alkenes. C) Energy transfer catalysis of simple alkenylboronic esters

Chitosan-supported CuI-catalyzed cascade reaction of 2-halobenzoic acids and amidines for the synthesis of quinazolinones

• Xuhong Zhao,
• Weishuang Li,
• Mengli Yang,
• Bojie Li,
• Yaoyao Zhang,
• Lizhen Huang and
• Lei Zhu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 839–844, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.67

• and amino groups in III yields the target quinazolinone 3. To demonstrate the practicality of this reaction in organic synthesis, the reaction was scaled up to the gram level. For instance, the desired product 3a was obtained in 91% yield (1.45 g) when the reaction was conducted on a 10.0 mmol scale

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

• with diverse functional groups [12][13][14]. Consequently, the development of selective and predictable strategies for the introduction of cyano groups into quaternary carbon frameworks has become necessary in organic synthesis. The transition-metal-catalyzed hydrocyanation of carbon–carbon double

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

• on the aromatic ring did not react in this system due to the incompatibility of the intermediate radicals. Electrochemical N–P bond formation Due to the importance of phosphoramidates in medicine and organic synthesis, Zhong et al. [64] reported an electrochemical P–N coupling of amines with dialkyl

• )(OR)2. The final product was formed by a simple nucleophilic substitution of the phosphorus center (Scheme 20). The N–P bond formation is a critical process in organic synthesis due to the preparation of various materials with different biological and medicinal activities. In 2021 Wang et al. [65

Recent advances in allylation of chiral secondary alkylcopper species

• Minjae Kim,
• Gwanggyun Kim,
• Doyoon Kim,
• Jun Hee Lee and
• Seung Hwan Cho

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 639–658, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.51

• Abstract The transition-metal-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution represents a pivotal methodology in organic synthesis, providing remarkable versatility for complex molecule construction. Particularly, the generation and utilization of chiral secondary alkylcopper species have received considerable

• secondary organocopper; copper-mediated reaction; stereoselectivity; Introduction The transition-metal-catalyzed regio- and enantioselective allylic substitution represents a pivotal methodology in organic synthesis, providing remarkable versatility for complex molecule construction [1][2][3][4]. The

• generation of chiral secondary alkylcopper species has been a significant challenge in organic synthesis, primarily due to their inherent instability and tendency to racemization [38]. For generating the key chiral organocopper intermediates, two distinct approaches have been developed: one utilizing chiral

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

• Olesja Koleda Janis Sadauskis Darja Antonenko Edvards Janis Treijs Raivis Davis Steberis Edgars Suna Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles 21, Riga LV-1006, Latvia Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Department of Chemistry, University of Latvia, Jelgavas 1, Riga LV-1004, Latvia

Asymmetric synthesis of β-amino cyanoesters with contiguous tetrasubstituted carbon centers by halogen-bonding catalysis with chiral halonium salt

• Yasushi Yoshida,
• Maho Aono,
• Takashi Mino and
• Masami Sakamoto

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 547–555, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.43

• of its unique interaction in organic synthesis. Chiral halonium salts have been found to have strong halogen-bonding-donor abilities and work as powerful asymmetric catalysts. Recently, we have developed binaphthyl-based chiral halonium salts and applied them in several enantioselective reactions

Photomechanochemistry: harnessing mechanical forces to enhance photochemical reactions

• Francesco Mele,
• Ana M. Constantin,
• Andrea Porcheddu,
• Raimondo Maggi,
• Giovanni Maestri,
• Nicola Della Ca’ and
• Luca Capaldo

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 458–472, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.33

• Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A, 43124 Parma, Italy 10.3762/bjoc.21.33 Abstract Photomechanochemistry, i.e., the merger of light energy and mechanical forces, is emerging as a new trend in organic synthesis, enabling unique reactivities of fleeting excited states under solvent

• photons and forces, streamlining the combination of mechanochemical and photochemical processes and paving the way for more efficient, sustainable, and selective transformations in organic synthesis. An unexplored opportunity is offered by resonant acoustic mixing (RAM) [82], a technology that leverages

Electrochemical synthesis of cyclic biaryl λ³-bromanes from 2,2’-dibromobiphenyls

• Andrejs Savkins and
• Igors Sokolovs

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 451–457, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.32

• Andrejs Savkins Igors Sokolovs Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles 21, 1006 Riga, Latvia Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Latvia, Jelgavas 1, 1004 Riga, Latvia 10.3762/bjoc.21.32 Abstract The remarkable nucleofugality of bromoarenes in diarylbromonium species

• Belyakov from the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis (LIOS) for X-ray crystallographic analysis. We also thank Prof. Edgars Suna (LIOS) for helpful discussions and assistance in preparing the manuscript. Funding This work was financially supported by Latvian Science Council grant LZP-2021/1-0595.

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

• ability to operate under low-energy light conditions, opens up new avenues for main-group redox catalysis in organic synthesis. By leveraging light excitation to enhance the reducing power of the bismuth complex, the study showcases the potential of main-group photoredox systems to complement traditional

• findings suggest that cyanins, specifically tailored to absorb in the NIR region, exhibit promising redox properties for applications in organic synthesis. A recent work by Goddard et al. has demonstrated that compound 46 is highly effective in various photoredox transformations, such as aza-Henry

• potential applicability [70]. Values are given in Figure 13. The first results obtained in organic synthesis have consisted in the dual Pd/DMQA-catalyzed C(sp2)–H arylation with aryldiazonium such as 56 with lactam derivative 57, which have leaded to similar results as the traditionnal use of Ru(bpy)32

Molecular diversity of the reactions of MBH carbonates of isatins and various nucleophiles

• Zi-Ying Xiao,
• Jing Sun and
• Chao-Guo Yan

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 286–295, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.21

• have made them to become valuable building blocks in organic synthesis. Nucleophilic additions or spiroannulation of the highly reactive carbonyl group at the C-3 position of isatins have various fascinating applications in organic synthesis, which allowed transformation of isatins into various

Synthesis of disulfides and 3-sulfenylchromones from sodium sulfinates catalyzed by TBAI

• Zhenlei Zhang,
• Ying Wang,
• Xingxing Pan,
• Manqi Zhang,
• Wei Zhao,
• Meng Li and
• Hao Zhang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 253–261, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.17

• groups in organic synthesis [1][2][3][4]. In chemistry and biology, disulfide bonds play crucial roles in protein folding and stabilization [5][6][7][8] and in the rubber industry, they are used to link different polymer chains [9][10]. The disulfide bond backbone is commonly used as a linker for

• antibody–drug coupling (ADCs), in which the active drug released in the target cell by selectively breaking the disulfide bond [11]. Given the wide applicability of disulfides, the development of efficient, green, mild, and cost-effective methods for the organic synthesis of disulfides is of significant

• sulfinate (Scheme 1) [29][30][31][32]. Among the available alternatives, sodium sulfinate is particularly interesting because it is more stable and easier to transport, and it is widely used in organic synthesis [33][34][35][36][37]. When using sodium sulfite as the starting material for the construction of

Dioxazolones as electrophilic amide sources in copper-catalyzed and -mediated transformations

• Seungmin Lee,
• Minsuk Kim,
• Hyewon Han and
• Jongwoo Son

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 200–216, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.12

• increasing interest as affordable, versatile, and sustainable catalytic systems. These catalysts are extensively employed in organic synthesis owing to their cost-effectiveness, reduced toxicity, and natural abundance [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]. The use of copper salts has enabled a variety of

Recent advances in electrochemical copper catalysis for modern organic synthesis

• Yemin Kim and
• Won Jun Jang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 155–178, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.9

• –heteroatom (C–X, where X = N, O, or halogens) bonds in organic synthesis. Copper was one of the first transition metals employed in cross-coupling to form C–C and C–X bonds [1][2]. In 1901, Ullmann reported the first cross-coupling reaction for the formation of biaryl compounds in the presence of

• ’ and Fu’s asymmetric C–N bond cross-coupling reactions by merging photoredox catalysis with copper catalysis [29][30]. Building on the success of photoredox catalysis, electrochemistry has emerged as a complementary and attractive strategy for promoting sustainability of organic synthesis. By offering

• catalysis to organic synthesis, focusing on recent developments in Cu-catalyzed electrochemical reaction categorized into four types: 1) C–H functionalization, 2) olefin addition, 3) decarboxylative functionalization, and 4) coupling reactions (Figure 3). This review aims to provide insight into the

Cu(OTf)₂-catalyzed multicomponent reactions

• Sara Colombo,
• Camilla Loro,
• Egle M. Beccalli,
• Gianluigi Broggini and
• Marta Papis

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 122–145, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.7

• ; heteropolycycles; multicomponent reactions; one-pot reaction; Introduction Copper has gained a relevant role in organic synthesis as an alternative to precious metals due to its low toxicity, ease of handling, high catalytic activity, and cost-effectiveness [1][2]. In recent years, Cu(OTf)2 has significantly

• known processes, a particular Mannich-type reaction was realized in water in the presence of a dendritic 2,2’-bipyridine ligand 2 and Cu(OTf)2 (Scheme 2) [16]. The hydrophobic ligand surrounding the metal revealed to be essential for the organic synthesis in water, thus increasing the reaction yields

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

• ; Introduction Stereoselective catalytic formation of chiral compounds is one of the critical tasks of modern organic synthesis [1]. The catalytic formation of compounds with a center of chirality has been the focus of countless works and can now be considered a matured area. On the other hand, the generation of

Emerging trends in the optimization of organic synthesis through high-throughput tools and machine learning

• Pablo Quijano Velasco,
• Kedar Hippalgaonkar and
• Balamurugan Ramalingam

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 10–38, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.3

• reactors; data processing; high-throughput experimentation; machine learning; reaction optimization; Introduction Organic synthesis plays a crucial role in drug discovery, polymer synthesis, materials science, agrochemicals, and specialty chemicals. Their synthesis and process optimization require

• . In addition to organic synthesis, the slug flow methodology has found application in polymer synthesis. A flow platform capable of polymerizing 397 unique copolymer compositions was developed by Reis et al. [51] using a droplet flow reactor. The methodology and high-fidelity data enabled them to

• Bédard et al. [62] to mitigate some of the challenges in traditional organic synthesis by the integration of hardware, software, and analytics. Comprising an array of modular components, including units for heating, cooling, LED light exposure, and packed bed reactors, it provides a flexible platform for

Reactivity of hypervalent iodine(III) reagents bearing a benzylamine with sulfenate salts

• Beatriz Dedeiras,
• Catarina S. Caldeira,
• José C. Cunha,
• Clara S. B. Gomes and
• M. Manuel B. Marques

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 3281–3289, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.272

• . A plausible mechanism is proposed, suggesting a possible radical pathway. Keywords: electrophilic amination; hypervalent iodine reagents; sulfinamide; sulfonamide; Introduction Iodine(III) compounds, known as λ3-iodanes, have been extensively applied in organic synthesis. Although initially used

Ceratinadin G, a new psammaplysin derivative possessing a cyano group from a sponge of the genus Pseudoceratina

• Shin-ichiro Kurimoto,
• Kouta Inoue,
• Taito Ohno and
• Takaaki Kubota

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 3215–3220, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.267

• , the first asymmetric total synthesis of psammaplysin A was accomplished by Smith and Morrow, and the absolute configuration of compound 1 was also confirmed through organic synthesis [7]. In our ongoing research focused on uncovering new bioactive secondary metabolites from Okinawan marine sponges, we

Direct trifluoroethylation of carbonyl sulfoxonium ylides using hypervalent iodine compounds

• Radell Echemendía,
• Carlee A. Montgomery,
• Fabio Cuzzucoli,
• Antonio C. B. Burtoloso and
• Graham K. Murphy

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 3182–3190, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.263

• versatile intermediates in organic synthesis due to their unique reactivity and ability to participate in a wide range of chemical transformations. In this scenario, sulfoxonium ylides are excellent substrates for bifunctionalization reactions, due to the ambiphilic character in their ylidic carbon [16

Multicomponent reactions driving the discovery and optimization of agents targeting central nervous system pathologies

• Lucía Campos-Prieto,
• Aitor García-Rey,
• Eddy Sotelo and
• Ana Mallo-Abreu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 3151–3173, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.261

• organic synthesis, particularly through MCRs, have streamlined the synthesis of benzodiazepines, making it more efficient and environmentally friendly [55]. For example, olanzapine as a benzodiazepine-based clinical drug was appropriately and concisely synthesized via MCR [56][57]. Over the last twenty

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

• , including ligand coupling, oxidative addition, intermolecular nucleophilic attack, 1,2-aryl migration, reductive elimination, and intramolecular nucleophilic attack. This approach offers a rapid and effective way to produce 5-fluoro-2-aryloxazoline compounds, which are valuable building blocks in organic

• synthesis. Carbon nucleophiles In addition to intramolecular aminofluorination and oxyfluorination, Szabó and co-workers reported alkene carbofluorination in 2015 (Scheme 22) [31]. Using 1-fluoro-3,3-dimethylbenziodoxole (12) and [Cu(MeCN)4]BF4 as a catalyst to activate it, the authors reported the