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

Changed reactivity of secondary hydroxy groups in C8-modified adenosine – lessons learned from silylation

• Jennifer Frommer and
• Sabine Müller

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 2854–2861, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.234

• building block 9 ready for use in solid-phase RNA synthesis. When starting the synthesis via this way, we were not sure, if the protected adenosine derivative 10 is a suitable substrate for iodination. The cyclic nature of the 3′,5′-O-di-tert-butylsilyl group is associated with a slight ring strain energy

Photocatalysis with organic dyes: facile access to reactive intermediates for synthesis

• Stephanie G. E. Amos,
• Marion Garreau,
• Luca Buzzetti and
• Jerome Waser

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 1163–1187, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.103

• excited state, together with an intense absorption in the visible-light region. The transformation proceeds via the single-electron oxidation of 2H-azirines, forming a nitrogen-centered radical cation, which is prone to ring opening. The driving force of the ring strain release and irreversible ring

Preparation of 2-phospholene oxides by the isomerization of 3-phospholene oxides

• Péter Bagi,
• Réka Herbay,
• Nikolett Péczka,
• Zoltán Mucsi,
• István Timári and
• György Keglevich

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 818–832, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.75

• (III)–P(V) redox cycle, such as in catalytic Wittig-, aza-Wittig-, Staudinger-, Appel- and other reactions [16][17][18][19][20][21]. The ring strain of the four- and five-membered derivatives makes them highly susceptible to deoxygenation, thus they are ideal organocatalysts in P(III)–P(V) redox

Architecture and synthesis of P,N-heterocyclic phosphine ligands

• Wisdom A. Munzeiwa,
• Bernard Omondi and
• Vincent O. Nyamori

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 362–383, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.35

• temperatures are involved, and the reaction requires relatively longer times compared to the organometallic route. Reaction of metal phosphides with cycloalkanes Cyclopropane easily undergoes nucleophilic substitution reactions because of its high ring strain. Tan et al. [69] reported the preparation of 9-(2

Starazo triple switches – synthesis of unsymmetrical 1,3,5-tris(arylazo)benzenes

• Andreas H. Heindl and
• Hermann A. Wegner

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 22–31, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.4

• their isomerization properties [3][4]. Also, the incorporation of AB units into cyclic [5] or macrocyclic structures can control the switching, depending, i.a., on symmetry and ring strain [6][7][8][9]. By combining these approaches, half-lives can be tuned from milliseconds to years. The incorporation

Effect of ring size on photoisomerization properties of stiff stilbene macrocycles

• Sandra Olsson,
• Óscar Benito Pérez,
• Magnus Blom and
• Adolf Gogoll

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2408–2418, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.233

• the resulting macrocycle. Keywords: DFT; molecular mechanics; photostability; photo-switch; ring-strain; stiff stilbene; Introduction The stiff stilbene (SS) molecule has drawn a lot of interest due to its photodynamic properties [1]. Stiff stilbenes typically undergo light triggered isomerization

• trend reminiscent of the experimental photoisomerization results (Figure 2), i.e., shorter chain lengths result in larger ΔG as well as in larger Z:E ratios. Ring strain The ring strain energies of compounds (Z)-1a–d and (E)-1a–d were calculated for an isodesmic reaction [38] transforming the cyclic

• diethers into noncyclic diethers (Supporting Information File 1) and the results are visualized in Figure 4. For (E)-1a–d the ring strain decreases with increased linker length. For the less strained (Z)-1a–d the ring strain increases slightly with increased linker length and for the longer linkers (1c,d