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

• working at this interface have the potential to redefine the landscape of sustainable synthesis, with this Perspective serving as a snapshot of the current state-of-the-art. The Grotthuss–Draper, Einstein–Stark, and Beer–Lambert laws. T: transmittance; ε: molar attenuation coefficient; c: concentration; l

Beyond symmetric self-assembly and effective molarity: unlocking functional enzyme mimics with robust organic cages

• Keith G. Andrews

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 421–443, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.30

• been inspired to understand and mimic these accelerations and selectivities for applications in catalysis for sustainable synthesis. Over the past 60+ years, mimicry strategies have evolved with changing interests, understanding, and synthetic advances but, ubiquitously, research has focused on use of

Copper-catalyzed yne-allylic substitutions: concept and recent developments

• Shuang Yang and
• Xinqiang Fang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2739–2775, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.232

• -value oxazolidinones with exceptional yields and enantioselectivities. This not only addresses the challenge of CO2 waste but also opens new avenues for the sustainable synthesis of complex molecules. Comprehensive mechanistic investigations underscored the pivotal role of DABCO in promoting CO2 capture

Manganese-catalyzed C–C and C–N bond formation with alcohols via borrowing hydrogen or hydrogen auto-transfer

• Mohd Farhan Ansari,
• Atul Kumar Maurya,
• Abhishek Kumar and
• Saravanakumar Elangovan

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1111–1166, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.98

• reactions via hydrogen auto-transfer, emphasizing the importance of this methodology and manganese catalysts in sustainable synthesis strategies. Keywords: alcohols; alkylation; amines; borrowing hydrogen; hydrogen auto-transfer; manganese; Introduction The construction of C–C and C–N bonds is of utmost

Mechanochemical solid state synthesis of copper(I)/NHC complexes with K₃PO₄

• Ina Remy-Speckmann,
• Birte M. Zimmermann,
• Mahadeb Gorai,
• Martin Lerch and
• Johannes F. Teichert

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 440–447, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.34

• removed in order to maintain reproducible results in subsequent catalytic hydrogenations [48]. We deemed this synthetic route unattractive with regards to sustainable synthesis due to the silver waste generated in the process and sought to replace the transmetallation route with a more atom economic

B–N/B–H Transborylation: borane-catalysed nitrile hydroboration

• Filip Meger,
• Alexander C. W. Kwok,
• Franziska Gilch,
• Dominic R. Willcox,
• Alex J. Hendy,
• Kieran Nicholson,
• Andrew D. Bage,
• Thomas Langer,
• Thomas A. Hunt and
• Stephen P. Thomas

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 1332–1337, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.138

• Information File 1) and decreasing the loading further (1 mol %) resulted in a significant reduction in the yield (<5%, see Supporting Information File 1). In line with the principles of sustainable synthesis [33], the reaction can be performed in the absence of solvent and the reaction temperature can be

Asymmetric organocatalyzed synthesis of coumarin derivatives

• Natália M. Moreira,
• Lorena S. R. Martelli and
• Arlene G. Corrêa

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 1952–1980, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.128

• needed to accomplish procedures that allow recycling and lower catalyst loading, intertwined with the use of green solvents, in order to provide efficient and sustainable synthesis of these important pharmacologically active compounds. Coumarin-derived commercially available drugs. Inhibition of

Synthetic reactions driven by electron-donor–acceptor (EDA) complexes

• Zhonglie Yang,
• Yutong Liu,
• Kun Cao,
• Xiaobin Zhang,
• Hezhong Jiang and
• Jiahong Li

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 771–799, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.67

• electron transfer and forming a pair of radical ions trapped in the solvent cage. The pair of radical ions escapes the solvent cage by diffusion to give radical ions, which could initiate chemical reactions or reverse electron transfer (Scheme 1) [6]. The continuously increasing demand for sustainable

• synthesis has encouraged chemists to pursue more efficient methods to manufacture fine and usable chemicals [7]. The reactions that EDA complexes participate in have been shown to be an enormous success, mainly due to the fact that they obviate photoredox catalysts or transition metal catalysts in the vast

When metal-catalyzed C–H functionalization meets visible-light photocatalysis

• Lucas Guillemard and
• Joanna Wencel-Delord

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 1754–1804, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.147

• ; sustainable synthesis; synergistic catalysis; Introduction In recent years, the field of synthetic chemistry has witnessed a profound evolution. Indeed, due to the growing environmental awareness, organic chemists face nowadays an urgent need of developing much more sustainable and environmentally benign

• the variety of possibilities in combining transition metal C–H activation and visible-light photoactivation to reach sustainable synthesis. The particular focus is put on the mechanisms of such complex catalytic systems, highlighting the unique reactivity that arises from the original combination of

Combining enyne metathesis with long-established organic transformations: a powerful strategy for the sustainable synthesis of bioactive molecules

• Valerian Dragutan,
• Ileana Dragutan,
• Albert Demonceau and
• Lionel Delaude

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 738–755, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.68

Oligomeric ricinoleic acid preparation promoted by an efficient and recoverable Brønsted acidic ionic liquid

• Fei You,
• Xing He,
• Song Gao,
• Hong-Ru Li and
• Liang-Nian He

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 351–361, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.34

• sustainable synthesis protocol is urgently needed to make the product really green. In this work, an environment-friendly Brønsted acidic ionic liquid (IL) 1-butanesulfonic acid diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene dihydrogen phosphate ([HSO3-BDBU]H2PO4) was developed as the efficient catalyst for the production of

Sustainable synthesis of 3-substituted phthalides via a catalytic one-pot cascade strategy from 2-formylbenzoic acid with β-keto acids in glycerol

• Lina Jia and
• Fuzhong Han

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2017, 13, 1425–1429, doi:10.3762/bjoc.13.139

Mechanochemistry-assisted synthesis of hierarchical porous carbons applied as supercapacitors

• Desirée Leistenschneider,
• Nicolas Jäckel,
• Felix Hippauf,
• Volker Presser and
• Lars Borchardt

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2017, 13, 1332–1341, doi:10.3762/bjoc.13.130

• advance this mechanochemical process to an even more sustainable synthesis. Application as supercapacitor electrodes We selected Carb-SF-3 as electrode material in a symmetrical supercapacitor because of its high specific surface area and pore volume (Table 1). The electrochemical characterization was

Contribution of microreactor technology and flow chemistry to the development of green and sustainable synthesis

• Flavio Fanelli,
• Giovanna Parisi,
• Leonardo Degennaro and
• Renzo Luisi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2017, 13, 520–542, doi:10.3762/bjoc.13.51

• chemistry could play in the near future for a sustainable development. Keywords: flash chemistry; flow chemistry; green chemistry; microreactor technology; sustainable synthesis; Introduction Green chemistry’s birth was driven by the necessity to consider and face the urgent question of sustainability

• synthetic applications that demonstrate the growing contribution of flow chemistry and microreactor technology in green and sustainable synthesis [4][5][6][7]. Review Flow microreactors: main features The peculiar properties of microreactors [8] derive from their small size and can be ascribed mainly to the

• microreactor technology are the improved yields and selectivities, the possibility to conduct reactions difficult or even impossible to perform in batch, and the use of reaction conditions that allow exploring new chemical windows [9]. Contribution of flash chemistry to green and sustainable synthesis The

DNA functionalization by dynamic chemistry

• Zeynep Kanlidere,
• Oleg Jochim,
• Marta Cal and
• Ulf Diederichsen

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 2136–2144, doi:10.3762/bjoc.12.203

• Saxony (International Ph.D. program Catalysis for Sustainable Synthesis, CaSuS) is gratefully acknowledged.

Flexible synthesis of anthracycline aglycone mimics via domino carbopalladation reactions

• Markus Leibeling and
• Daniel B. Werz

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2013, 9, 2194–2201, doi:10.3762/bjoc.9.258

• Industrie (FCI) for financial support (Emmy Noether and Heisenberg Fellowships as well as Dozentenstipendium to D.B.W.). M.L. thanks the State of Lower Saxony for his Ph.D. Lichtenberg Fellowship within the CaSuS (Catalysis for Sustainable Synthesis) program. We thank Prof. Dr. Lutz F. Tietze (University of