Copper catalysis: a constantly evolving field
Prof. Jaesook Yun, Sungkyunkwan University
Prof. Elena Fernández, University Rovira i Virgili
Copper catalysis is a constantly evolving field of research. Over the past decade, copper catalysts have been used strategically in two-electron and single-electron reactions. This allowed to achieve otherwise unattainable transformations, with cross-coupling reactions as a prominent example. Likewise, copper photoredox catalysis and electrocatalysis are crucial for the generation of versatile reactive radical species under extremely mild conditions from readily available bench-stable starting materials.
This thematic issue invites contributions exploring various aspects of copper catalysis, including both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic systems. Topics of interest include novel copper-catalyzed organic transformations, asymmetric catalysis, green and sustainable copper catalysis, heterogeneous copper catalysis for organic transformations, and more.
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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
Graphical Abstract
Scheme 1: Copper-catalyzed allylic and yne-allylic substitution.
Scheme 2: Challenges in achieving highly selective yne-allylic substitution.
Scheme 3: Yne-allylic substitutions using indoles and pyroles.
Scheme 4: Yne-allylic substitutions using amines.
Scheme 5: Yne-allylic substitution using 1,3-dicarbonyls.
Scheme 6: Postulated mechanism via copper acetylide-bonded allylic cation.
Scheme 7: Amine-participated asymmetric yne-allylic substitution.
Scheme 8: Asymmetric decarboxylative yne-allylic substitution.
Scheme 9: Asymmetric yne-allylic alkoxylation and alkylation.
Scheme 10: Proposed mechanism for Cu(I) system.
Scheme 11: Asymmetric yne-allylic dialkylamination.
Scheme 12: Proposed mechanism of yne-allylic dialkylamination.
Scheme 13: Asymmetric yne-allylic sulfonylation.
Scheme 14: Proposed mechanism of yne-allylic sulfonylation.
Scheme 15: Aymmetric yne-allylic substitutions using indoles and indolizines.
Scheme 16: Double yne-allylic substitutions using pyrrole.
Scheme 17: Proposed mechanism of yne-allylic substitution using electron-rich arenes.
Scheme 18: Aymmetric yne-allylic monofluoroalkylations.
Scheme 19: Proposed mechanism.
Scheme 20: Aymmetric yne-allylic substitution of yne-allylic esters with anthrones.
Scheme 21: Aymmetric yne-allylic substitution of yne-allylic esters with coumarins.
Scheme 22: Aymmetric yne-allylic substitution of with coumarins by Lin.
Scheme 23: Proposed mechanism.
Scheme 24: Amination by alkynylcopper driven dearomatization and rearomatization.
Scheme 25: Arylation by alkynylcopper driven dearomatization and rearomatization.
Scheme 26: Remote substitution/cyclization/1,5-H shift process.
Scheme 27: Proposed mechanism.
Scheme 28: Arylation or amination by alkynylcopper driven dearomatization and rearomatization.
Scheme 29: Remote nucleophilic substitution of 5-ethynylthiophene esters.
Scheme 30: Proposed mechanism.
Scheme 31: [4 + 1] annulation of yne-allylic esters and cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyls.
Scheme 32: Asymmetric [4 + 1] annulation of yne-allylic esters.
Scheme 33: Proposed mechanism.
Scheme 34: Asymmetric [3 + 2] annulation of yne-allylic esters.
Scheme 35: Postulated annulation step.
Scheme 36: [4 + 1] Annulations of vinyl ethynylethylene carbonates and 1,3-dicarbonyls.
Scheme 37: Proposed mechanism.
Scheme 38: Formal [4 + 1] annulations with amines.
Scheme 39: Formal [4 + 2] annulations with hydrazines.
Scheme 40: Proposed mechanism.
Scheme 41: Dearomative annulation of 1-naphthols and yne-allylic esters.
Scheme 42: Dearomative annulation of phenols or 2-naphthols and yne-allylic esters.
Scheme 43: Postulated annulation mechanism.
Scheme 44: Dearomative annulation of phenols or 2-naphthols.
Scheme 45: Dearomative annulation of indoles.
Scheme 46: Postulated annulation step.
Scheme 47: Asymmetric [4 + 1] cyclization of yne-allylic esters with pyrazolones.
Scheme 48: Proposed mechanism.
Scheme 49: Construction of C–C axially chiral arylpyrroles.
Scheme 50: Construction of C–N axially chiral arylpyrroles.
Scheme 51: Construction of chiral arylpyrroles with 1,2-di-axial chirality.
Scheme 52: Proposed mechanism.
Scheme 53: CO2 shuttling in yne-allylic substitution.
Scheme 54: CO2 fixing in yne-allylic substitution.
Scheme 55: Proposed mechanism.
Germanyl triazoles as a platform for CuAAC diversification and chemoselective orthogonal cross-coupling
- John M. Halford-McGuff,
- Thomas M. Richardson,
- Aidan P. McKay,
- Frederik Peschke,
- Glenn A. Burley and
- Allan J. B. Watson
Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 3198–3204, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.265
Graphical Abstract
Scheme 1: The CuAAC reaction and installation of functional groups for product diversification.
Scheme 2: Scope of germanyl acetylene CuAAC. Alkyne (1.0 equiv), azide (1.1 equiv), CuSO4·5H2O (5.0 mol %), N...
Scheme 3: (a) Application of Ge-alkyne CuAAC to functional molecules. (b) Functionalisation of germylated tri...
Facile one-pot reduction of β-nitrostyrenes to phenethylamines using sodium borohydride and copper(II) chloride
- Laura D’Andrea and
- Simon Jademyr
Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 39–46, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.4
Graphical Abstract
Scheme 1: Brief comparison between the main traditional synthetic routes for the preparation of substituted p...
Figure 1: The β-nitrostyrene analogues used in this work.
Scheme 2: Additional products obtained via this method: nitrobenzene and methyl benzoate are reduced in excel...
Figure 2: Numerous masses (m/z) were detected by ESI-MS at T = 0 upon mixing all the reagents to produce 1b.
Figure 3: Structures of proposed adducts. Their masses, 254.2 and 242.2, respectively, were found at T = 0 by...
Scheme 3: Proposed mechanism for the formation of the hydroxylamine side product b. N-Phenethylhydroxylamine (...
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
Graphical Abstract
Figure 1: Plausible general catalytic activation for ionic or radical mechanisms.
Scheme 1: Synthesis of α-aminonitriles 1.
Scheme 2: Synthesis of β-amino ketone or β-amino ester derivatives 3.
Scheme 3: Synthesis of 1-(α-aminoalkyl)-2-naphthol derivatives 4.
Scheme 4: Synthesis of thioaminals 5.
Scheme 5: Synthesis of aryl- or amine-containing alkanes 6 and 7.
Scheme 6: Synthesis of 1-aryl-2-sulfonamidopropanes 8.
Scheme 7: Synthesis of α-substituted propargylamines 10.
Scheme 8: Synthesis of N-propargylcarbamates 11.
Scheme 9: Synthesis of (E)-vinyl sulfones 12.
Scheme 10: Synthesis of o-halo-substituted aryl chalcogenides 13.
Scheme 11: Synthesis of α-aminophosphonates 14.
Scheme 12: Synthesis of unsaturated furanones and pyranones 15–17.
Scheme 13: Synthesis of substituted dihydropyrimidines 18.
Scheme 14: Regioselective synthesis of 1,4-dihydropyridines 20.
Scheme 15: Synthesis of tetrahydropyridines 21.
Scheme 16: Synthesis of furoquinoxalines 22.
Scheme 17: Synthesis of 2,4-substituted quinolines 23.
Scheme 18: Synthesis of cyclic ether-fused tetrahydroquinolines 24.
Scheme 19: Practical route for 1,2-dihydroisoquinolines 25.
Scheme 20: Synthesis of 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-one derivatives 26.
Scheme 21: Synthesis of polysubstituted pyrroles 27.
Scheme 22: Enantioselective synthesis of polysubstituted pyrrolidines 30 directed by the copper complex 29.
Scheme 23: Synthesis of 4,5-dihydropyrazoles 31.
Scheme 24: Synthesis of 2 arylisoindolinones 32.
Scheme 25: Synthesis of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines 33.
Scheme 26: Synthesis of isoxazole-linked imidazo[1,2-a]azines 35.
Scheme 27: Synthesis of 2,3-dihydro-1,2,4-triazoles 36.
Scheme 28: Synthesis of naphthopyrans 37.
Scheme 29: Synthesis of benzo[g]chromene derivatives 38.
Scheme 30: Synthesis of naphthalene annulated 2-aminothiazoles 39, piperazinyl-thiazoloquinolines 40 and thiaz...
Scheme 31: Synthesis of furo[3,4-b]pyrazolo[4,3-f]quinolinones 42.
Scheme 32: Synthesis of spiroindoline-3,4’-pyrano[3,2-b]pyran-4-ones 43.
Scheme 33: Synthesis of N-(α-alkoxy)alkyl-1,2,3-triazoles 44.
Scheme 34: Synthesis of 4-(α-tetrasubstituted)alkyl-1,2,3-triazoles 45.
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
Graphical Abstract
Figure 1: General mechanisms of traditional and radical-mediated cross-coupling reactions.
Figure 2: Types of electrocatalysis (using anodic oxidation).
Figure 3: Recent developments and features of electrochemical copper catalysis.
Figure 4: Scheme and proposed mechanism for Cu-catalyzed alkynylation and annulation of benzamide.
Figure 5: Scheme and proposed mechanism for Cu-catalyzed asymmetric C–H alkynylation.
Figure 6: Scheme for Cu/TEMPO-catalyzed C–H alkenylation of THIQs.
Figure 7: Scheme and proposed mechanism for Cu-catalyzed electrophotochemical enantioselective cyanation of b...
Figure 8: Scheme and proposed mechanism for Cu-catalyzed electrophotochemical asymmetric heteroarylcyanation ...
Figure 9: Scheme and proposed mechanism for Cu-catalyzed enantioselective regiodivergent cross-dehydrogenativ...
Figure 10: Scheme and proposed mechanism for Cu/Ni-catalyzed stereodivergent homocoupling of benzoxazolyl acet...
Figure 11: Scheme and proposed mechanism for Cu-catalyzed electrochemical amination.
Figure 12: Scheme and proposed mechanism for Cu-catalyzed electrochemical azidation of N-arylenamines and annu...
Figure 13: Scheme and proposed mechanism for Cu-catalyzed electrochemical halogenation.
Figure 14: Scheme and proposed mechanism for Cu-catalyzed asymmetric cyanophosphinoylation of vinylarenes.
Figure 15: Scheme and proposed mechanism for Cu/Co dual-catalyzed asymmetric hydrocyanation of alkenes.
Figure 16: Scheme and proposed mechanism for Cu-catalyzed electrochemical diazidation of olefins.
Figure 17: Scheme and proposed mechanism for Cu-catalyzed electrochemical azidocyanation of alkenes.
Figure 18: Scheme and proposed mechanism for Cu-catalyzed electrophotochemical asymmetric decarboxylative cyan...
Figure 19: Scheme and proposed mechanism for electrocatalytic Chan–Lam coupling.
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
Graphical Abstract
Scheme 1: Formation of isocyanates and amidated arenes from dioxazolones.
Scheme 2: Copper-catalyzed synthesis of δ-lactams via open-shell copper nitrenoid transfer. aCuBr (10 mol %) ...
Figure 1: Proposed reaction pathway for the copper-catalyzed synthesis of δ-lactams from dioxazolones.
Scheme 3: Copper(II)-catalyzed synthesis of 1,2,4-triazole derivatives.
Figure 2: Proposed reaction mechanism for the copper-catalyzed synthesis of 1,2,4-triazole analogues from dio...
Scheme 4: Copper(I)-catalyzed synthesis of N-acyl amidines from dioxazolones, acetylenes, and amines. aPerfor...
Figure 3: Proposed reaction mechanism for the copper(I)-catalyzed synthesis of N-acyl amidines.
Scheme 5: Preparation of N-arylamides from dioxazolones and boronic acids using a copper salt.
Figure 4: Proposed reaction pathway for the copper-mediated synthesis of N-arylamides from dioxazolones.
Scheme 6: Copper-catalyzed preparation of N-acyl iminophosphoranes from dioxazolones.
Figure 5: Proposed reaction pathway for the copper-catalyzed synthesis of N-acyl iminophosphoranes from dioxa...
Scheme 7: Copper-catalyzed synthesis of N-acyl sulfenamides. a1.0 equiv of 18 and 2.0 equiv of 19 were used. b...
Figure 6: Proposed reaction mechanism for the copper-catalyzed S-amidation of thiols.
Scheme 8: Copper-catalyzed asymmetric hydroamidation of vinylarenes. a4 mol % + 2 mol % catalyst was used. b4...
Figure 7: Proposed reaction mechanism for the copper-catalyzed hydroamidation of vinylarenes.
Scheme 9: Copper-catalyzed anti-Markovnikov hydroamidation of alkynes.
Figure 8: Proposed reaction mechanism for the copper-catalyzed amidation of alkynes.
Scheme 10: Copper-catalyzed preparation of primary amides through N–O bond reduction using reducing agent.
Figure 9: Proposed catalytic cycle for the copper-catalyzed reduction of dioxazolones.
