Synthesis of the tetracyclic skeleton of Aspidosperma alkaloids via PET-initiated cationic radical-derived interrupted [2 + 2]/retro-Mannich reaction

• Ru-Dong Liu,
• Jian-Yu Long,
• Zhi-Lin Song,
• Zhen Yang and
• Zhong-Chao Zhang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2470–2478, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.189

• leads to ketene D, which can undergo cycloaddition with an alkene to yield E. This fragmentation pathway dominates under various conditions (e.g., transition-metal catalysis, nucleophilic addition) and is driven by ring-strain release [11]. PET, an alternative to direct excitation and EnT, enables the

• formation of intermediate L is challenging because its ring-strain energy (Figure 1e, 52.1 kcal/mol) is higher than that of its counterpart, i.e. the bicyclo[3.2.0]heptane motif (28.3 kcal/mol) in H [24]. Herein, we report our recent results on the development of a novel strategy for the stereoselective

• intermediacy of IN4 was ruled out. We assume that the overlap between the sp2-hybridized N spin center and σ* (C19–C3) in TS2, and the ring-strain release of the transient bicyclo[2.2.0]hexane unit, play essential roles that enable the reaction to occur. Thus, natural bond orbital (NBO) [33] and Mayer bond

Synthetic study toward vibralactone

• Liang Shi,
• Jiayi Song,
• Yiqing Li,
• Jia-Chen Li,
• Shuqi Li,
• Li Ren,
• Zhi-Yun Liu and
• Hong-Dong Hao

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2376–2382, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.182

• ; Introduction β-Lactones have attracted continuous interest and have been widely utilized as key intermediates in the synthesis of natural products and polymers due to their innate ring strain [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Moreover, several natural products and their derivatives containing β-lactone as key structural

Photoswitches beyond azobenzene: a beginner’s guide

• Michela Marcon,
• Christoph Haag and
• Burkhard König

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1808–1853, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.143

• leads to a less effective conjugation (Scheme 32C). The lower degree of conjugation also reflects in a less pronounced red-shift and spectral overlap compared to 102, and a better PSS (Z–E 92%, E–Z 52%). This hypothesis was further supported by forcing the planarity of the rotor phenyl by ring strain

• transition state E-inversion (Scheme 32A). The addition of ring strain between the stator and the rotor (Scheme 34, right) was found to affect the thermal half-life depending on the ring size [109]. Too small (n = 3) 108a and too large rings (n > 5) 108d–f force the E-isomer in a less stable conformation and

• destabilizing the E-isomer 124-I due to the ring strain (Scheme 40). According to the Woodward–Hoffmann rule [120], the excited state electrocyclisation of a 4n + 2 conjugated system proceeds in a conrotatory fashion. For steric reasons, the excited state ring closure is only possible when o-125 is in

Catalytic asymmetric reactions of isocyanides for constructing non-central chirality

• Jia-Yu Liao

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1648–1660, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.129

• with both axial and central chirality, followed by 2) ring-strain and aromatization-driven elimination, which elucidating the observed unusual torsional strain-independent reactivity. In addition, products bearing a tert-butyl ester group were smoothly converted into structurally novel axially chiral

Synthesis of an aza[5]helicene-incorporated macrocyclic heteroarene via oxidation of an o-phenylene-pyrrole-thiophene icosamer

• Yusuke Matsuo,
• Aoi Nakagawa,
• Shu Seki and
• Takayuki Tanaka

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1561–1567, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.119

• study illuminated that a partially fused macrocyclic molecule is an intriguing structural motif which comprises a rigid backbone, yet showing somewhat flexible structural dynamics under ambient temperature conditions. (a) Increased ring-strain from macrocyclic oligoarene to partially fused oligoarene

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

• tetrahedral value which results in a large ring strain of 25.5 kcal/mol, comparable to oxirane (27.3 kcal/mol) and much greater than tetrahydrofuran (5.6 kcal/mol) [4]. Moreover, the strained C–O–C bond angle effectively exposes the oxygen lone pairs, making oxetane a strong hydrogen-bond acceptor and Lewis

• ]. 1.1.1.2 Opening of a 3-membered ring: Due to the smaller ring strain present in 4-membered rings compared to 3-membered ones, these reactions possess sufficient thermodynamic driving force and hence constitute a viable strategy for oxetane synthesis. The 3-membered rings that are typically opened include

• by trans-hydrostannation [50] of the corresponding alkyne precursors, so this report potentially introduced a new method for oxetane synthesis through an intramolecular Chan–Lam-type coupling. Due to the high reactivity of the exocyclic enol ether induced by the ring strain, 2-alkylidene

Enhancing chemical synthesis planning: automated quantum mechanics-based regioselectivity prediction for C–H activation with directing groups

• Julius Seumer,
• Nicolai Ree and
• Jan H. Jensen

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1171–1182, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.94

• QM methods. We determine the relevant reaction sites either by a set of SMART patterns or by screening all possible reaction sites using the Merck molecular force field calculated ring strain energy, for details see section “Beyond ortho-directing groups”. This restriction allows us to rapidly

Recent advances in synthetic approaches for bioactive cinnamic acid derivatives

• Betty A. Kustiana,
• Galuh Widiyarti and
• Teni Ernawati

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1031–1086, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.85

• relatively new prima donna of functional groups explored in drug design, were smoothly prepared. 2.4 Miscellaneous reactions Cyclopropenone, the smallest Hückel aromatic system, has been subjected to the ring opening reactions, driven by the release of ring strain. Numerous transformations of cyclopropenone

Copper-catalyzed domino cyclization of anilines and cyclobutanone oxime: a scalable and versatile route to spirotetrahydroquinoline derivatives

• Qingqing Jiang,
• Xinyi Lei,
• Pan Gao and
• Yu Yuan

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 749–754, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.58

• remains a formidable challenge, primarily due to the inherent ring strain and the difficulties associated with achieving high diastereoselectivity during cyclization [4]. Recently, Chen and co-workers developed a chiral phosphoric acid (CPA)-catalyzed multicomponent reaction of anilines, aldehydes, and

Photoredox-catalyzed intramolecular nucleophilic amidation of alkenes with β-lactams

• Valentina Giraldi,
• Giandomenico Magagnano,
• Daria Giacomini,
• Pier Giorgio Cozzi and
• Andrea Gualandi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2461–2468, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.210

• as final product, characterized by significant ring strain [59]. Under light irradiation, PhSSPh is in equilibrium with the corresponding thiyl radical, which is subsequently reduced to thiophenolate by PC•, originating from the reduction of *PC+. The reduction potential of PhS−/PhS• (Epred = +0.45 V

Ring opening of photogenerated azetidinols as a strategy for the synthesis of aminodioxolanes

• Henning Maag,
• Daniel J. Lemcke and
• Johannes M. Wahl

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1671–1676, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.148

• . Key to the successful development of this two-step process is the identification of a benzhydryl-protecting group, which orchestrates the photochemical Norrish–Yang cyclization and facilitates the subsequent ring opening. Keywords: azetidine; Norrish–Yang cyclization; ring-opening reaction; ring

• strain; Introduction Identifying efficient methods for the preparation of densely functionalized molecules is one of the central goals of modern organic chemistry. In this context, application of strained molecules has garnered increasing attention due to their intrinsic reactivity [1][2]. However

Copper-promoted C5-selective bromination of 8-aminoquinoline amides with alkyl bromides

• Changdong Shao,
• Chen Ma,
• Li Li,
• Jingyi Liu,
• Yanan Shen,
• Chen Chen,
• Qionglin Yang,
• Tianyi Xu,
• Zhengsong Hu,
• Yuhe Kan and
• Tingting Zhang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 155–161, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.14

• contrast, side products, substituted on the naphthalene, furan, or thiophene ring were not detected. This protocol was also compatible with linear, branched, and cyclic aliphatic acid-derived substrates (3qa–va). Surprisingly, small ring-containing substrates displaying significant ring strain were stable

Perspectives on push–pull chromophores derived from click-type [2 + 2] cycloaddition–retroelectrocyclization reactions of electron-rich alkynes and electron-deficient alkenes

• Michio Yamada

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 125–154, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.13

• revealed that the rate-determining step in the transformation of 20 into 22 was the first-order RE step, which was primarily governed by enthalpy changes. Furthermore, it was observed that the ring strain significantly accelerated the second-order [2 + 2] CA step. The rate enhancement in the [2 + 2] CA

• 5500 times that for the initial [2 + 2] CA step and 80 times that for the subsequent [2 + 2] CA step at 298 K, which was attributable to the ring strain. Jasti et al. synthesized an array of cycloparaphenylenes (CPPs) that incorporated alkyne moieties (28a–c) within their ring structures and

• investigated their reactions with TCNE (Scheme 11) [111]. In these reactions, CPP derivatives 30a–c, featuring TCBD moieties, were obtained with 59–97% yields. The magnitude of the ring strain exerted a profound effect on the reactivity of the compounds. Notably, the largest macrocycle 28c required heating to

Synthesis of aliphatic nitriles from cyclobutanone oxime mediated by sulfuryl fluoride (SO₂F₂)

• Xian-Lin Chen and
• Hua-Li Qin

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 901–908, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.68

• afford the iminyl radical intermediate II. In the following step, the ring-strain of cyclobutanone is released under the promotion of the imine radical, giving the C-centered radical III which is subsequently captured by the alkene. Meanwhile, the radical IV transfers an electron to [Cun+1] regenerating

First synthesis of acylated nitrocyclopropanes

• Kento Iwai,
• Rikiya Kamidate,
• Khimiya Wada,
• Haruyasu Asahara and
• Nagatoshi Nishiwaki

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 892–900, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.67

• esters 1a have recently attracted considerable attention from synthetic organic chemists. In addition to their polyfunctionality, their ring strain and electron deficiency lead to a wide variety of reactivities. Based on their electron-deficient nature, these compounds have been used as substrates in the

• reactive allenes (reaction e), which serve as synthetic intermediates for polyfunctionalized enynes [8]. The ring strain of the cyclopropane ring facilitates the cleavage of the C–C bond, and both cation and anion are stabilized by the adjacent phenyl group and ester functions, respectively (reaction f

Eschenmoser coupling reactions starting from primary thioamides. When do they work and when not?

• Lukáš Marek,
• Jiří Váňa,
• Jan Svoboda and
• Jiří Hanusek

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 808–819, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.61

• acidifying effect as compared to C(CH3)2) and the effect of ring strain [35][36] (C–H in the 5-membered α-thioiminium salt 15 is more acidic than in the 6-membered salts 6a,b or non-cyclic salts 12b). The subsequent formation of the thiirane ring through TS2 (which is strongly entropically favored although

• the ring strain involved in the enthalpy term disfavors it) shows the opposite trend. This means that the activation free energies are decreasing from 47 to 23 kJ·mol−1, respectively. Spontaneous co-catenation (or thiophile-assisted when a P(III) compound is added) extrusion of sulfur from thiirane

Construction of hexabenzocoronene-based chiral nanographenes

• Ranran Li,
• Di Wang,
• Shengtao Li and
• Peng An

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 736–751, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.54

• helical conformation was confirmed by the single-crystal X-ray crystallography of its methoxy-substituted analogue. Another method to obtain the incompletely cyclized seco-HBC is the introduction of a non-hexagonal ring into the precursors of HBC. Due to the large ring strain, the precursors are not prone

Transition-metal-catalyzed domino reactions of strained bicyclic alkenes

• Austin Pounder,
• Eric Neufeld,
• Peter Myler and
• William Tam

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 487–540, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.38

• involving these strained bicyclic alkenes are thermodynamically driven forward with the release of ring-strain energy (Figure 1) [7][8]. Intuitively, increasing the number of olefin moieties in the bicyclic system from zero, one, and two, increases the ring-strain energy. Moreover, the introduction of a

• bridging heteroatom increases the ring-strain energy of the system, conceptualized by the decrease in bond distances. Typically, there are two modes for ring-strain release. First, functionalization of the double bond mildly alleviates the ring strain by relieving nonoptimal bond angles enforced by the

• other π systems or can be intercepted by an electrophile. The introduction of a bridging heteroatom into the bicyclic scaffold can dramatically alter the reactivity (Figure 2c). Besides the apparent increase in the ring strain (vide supra), their potential propagation steps are more complex. After an

Synthesis of bis-spirocyclic derivatives of 3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane via cyclopropene cycloadditions to the stable azomethine ylide derived from Ruhemann's purple

• Alexander S. Filatov,
• Olesya V. Khoroshilova,
• Anna G. Larina,
• Vitali M. Boitsov and
• Alexander V. Stepakov

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 769–780, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.77

• triple bonds due to ring strain. It is noteworthy that we managed to determine the relative configuration of cycloadduct 3e by carrying out the corresponding X-ray structural analysis (Figure 1 and Table S2 in Supporting Information File 1). As anticipated, the azomethine ylide 1 cycloaddition 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

• , ring strain, or α-carbonyl group), α-iminols are typically less stable than their α-amino ketone products. In the presence of a Brønsted acid, protonation of the amine product can be used to drive the rearrangement to completion. Thus, favorable yields and stereoselectivities can be realized by first

• ring strain from cyclobutane derivatives has been developed by Cheng et al. to prepare functionalized α-amino cyclopentanones [31]. In the presence of a palladium catalyst, an electron-rich heteroarene 115 first adds to the nitrile group in a 1-cyanocyclobutyl ester 116 to give a tetrahedral imine

• cyclobutane derivatives (Figure 21b), highlighting the importance of the relief of ring strain in driving the rearrangement [31]. Like their α‑ketol counterparts, rearrangements of α‑iminols have also been used in total syntheses. In their total synthesis of four eburnane-type alkaloid natural products 122

Allylic alcohols and amines by carbenoid eliminative cross-coupling using epoxides or aziridines

• Matthew J. Fleming and
• David M. Hodgson

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 2385–2389, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.155

• . This led to the desired allylic alcohol 6 (38%), likely via the selective (ring strain-relieving) 1,2-metalate rearrangement outlined in Scheme 2 (2→3, X = O, LG = OMe), then preferential β-elimination [7][8] of lithium methoxide rather than dilithium oxide. However, also isolated was dodecanal (50

A study on selective transformation of norbornadiene into fluorinated cyclopentane-fused isoxazolines

• Zsanett Benke,
• Attila M. Remete and
• Loránd Kiss

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 2051–2066, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.132

• of natural products (especially macrocycles) [12], alkaloids [13], amino acids and functionalized biomolecules such as peptides [14][15][16][17][18][19][20] or various drugs [21]. Due to the ring strain, bicyclic systems and derivatives, such as norbornadiene derivatives can easily be converted

• system and the corresponding ROM product is shifted towards ROM because ring strain disfavors reclosing of the ring system. Therefore, functionalized norbornenes, which are highly strained scaffolds, easily provide a number of functionalized cyclopentanes across the ROM/CM process. It is well known that

Structural effects of meso-halogenation on porphyrins

• Keith J. Flanagan,
• Maximilian Paradiz Dominguez,
• Zoi Melissari,
• Hans-Georg Eckhardt,
• René M. Williams,
• Dáire Gibbons,
• Caroline Prior,
• Gemma M. Locke,
• Alina Meindl,
• Aoife A. Ryan and
• Mathias O. Senge

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 1149–1170, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.88

• . However, the atom displacements and pyrrole tilt angles are reasonably constant. This suggests that the hexyl groups have a larger impact on the conformation and tend to alleviate ring strain by inducing a more planar conformation. This can be visualized in the NSD where the OOP of 6 and 7 are almost

• the effect of the di-bromination is evident. The addition of a phenyl ring to the 15-position (compound 5) increases the disorder observed. However, when this is changed to a bromine atom, an alleviation of ring strain is observed resulting in a structure that is more planar than compound 1

Annulation of a 1,3-dithiole ring to a sterically hindered o-quinone core. Novel ditopic redox-active ligands

• Sergey V. Norkov,
• Anton V. Cherkasov,
• Andrey S. Shavyrin,
• Maxim V. Arsenyev,
• Viacheslav A. Kuropatov and
• Vladimir K. Cherkasov

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 273–282, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.26

• -quinone with annulated dithiete ring [18]. Due to the ring-strain of the four-membered cycle the bond distance S(1)–C(11) in thiete (1.866(3) Å) is elongated compared to a standard C–S bond lengths in five-membered cycles (≈1.75 Å). The measured value of the C–S–C angle in this ring is 77.4(2)°. Very

The preparation and properties of 1,1-difluorocyclopropane derivatives

• Kymbat S. Adekenova,
• Peter B. Wyatt and
• Sergazy M. Adekenov

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 245–272, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.25

• preparations, controllers of plant growth and fruit ripening, and insecticides. Geminal dihalocyclopropanes, especially the fluoro derivatives, form an important class of organic compounds, which have the ability to participate in synthetically useful reactions due to the presence of both, ring strain and of

• fluorine atoms, has a significant partial positive charge and can be a site for nucleophilic attack. The neighboring carbon atoms also possess partial positive charges, albeit less pronounced. The combination of ring strain and the deficit of the electronic density leads to the possibility of ring opening