Synthesis of depressin, cryptomeridiol and 4-epi-cryptomeridiol enabled by a terpenoid chiral pool-producing platform

• Yao Kong,
• Tao Wang,
• Chen Wang,
• Pengcheng Zhang,
• Yuanning Liu,
• Kaibiao Wang,
• Fen Liu,
• Hongli Jia and
• Zhengren Xu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 683–690, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.53

• ). Depressin (1) was isolated from the soft coral Simularia depressa collected from Hainan Province of China [13]. Its structure contains the typical bicyclo[12.1.0]pentadecane casbane diterpenoid skeleton with a cis-disubstituted cyclopropane unit, and a keto group at C5, which is the most frequently oxidized

Harnessing light energy with molecules

• Grace G. D. Han,
• Mogens Brøndsted Nielsen and
• Hermann A. Wegner

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 680–682, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.52

• and can be potentially used at a later stage. A strong emphasis is on molecular photoswitches (photochromic molecules) that upon irradiation undergo cis/trans isomerization, intramolecular photocycloaddition, or an electrocyclic reaction. In addition, several articles describe absorption tuning by

• between trans and cis isomers, represent another class of photoswitches, which were reviewed as mostophores in a Perspective by Wang, Wu, and co-workers [8]. Besides MOST systems, molecular photoswitches are interesting for a variety of potential applications when incorporated as photoresponsive units in

Computational prediction of C–H hydricities and their use in predicting the regioselectivity of electron-rich C–H functionalisation reactions

• Rasmus M. Borup,
• Nicolai Ree and
• Jan H. Jensen

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 603–610, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.46

• -catalysed C–H carbamoylation of the cis-fused azabicyclo[4.3.0]nonane derivative 9, and Overman and Tomasi [46] reported the Cu(II) salt-catalysed addition of a N-tosyl group to the C–C double bond in compound 10 in conjunction with an H-abstraction, to form a new C–C double bond. In all three cases, the

Experimental and DFT studies on the regioselective methanolysis of 5-azido-9-oxabicyclo[6.1.0]nonan-4-yl 4-nitrobenzoate isomers

• İlknur Polat,
• Selçuk Eşsiz and
• Emine Salamci

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 547–556, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.40

• -oxabicyclo[6.1.0]nonan-4-yl 4-nitrobenzoate isomers starting from cis,cis-1,5-cyclooctadiene. Results and Discussion For the synthesis of the hitherto unknown key compound 8-azidocyclooct-4-en-1-yl 4-nitrobenzoate (8), we commenced by obtaining the known 5,6-epoxycyclooctene (6), which was prepared by

• epoxidation of cis,cis-1,5-cyclooctadiene (5) with m-CPBA [21][22]. Subsequently, the 5,6-epoxycyclooctene (6) was reacted with NaN3 and NH4Cl in EtOH/H2O to give azidol 7 in 92% yield [23] (Scheme 1). Azidol 7 was then converted into the corresponding azido nitrobenzoate 8 with p-nitrobenzoyl chloride (p-NBC

• -ray analysis (Figure 2) [25]. X-ray analysis of azido compound 10 confirmed the trans configuration of the azide group with chloride and the cis configuration with the acetate. Our suggested mechanism for the ring-opening of the epoxides 9 with HCl(g) in MeOH proceeded as described in Scheme 3. As

Melifoliox B, a novel phloroglucin derivative isolated from Melicope barbigera (Rutaceae) and synthesis of new oxidation products from melifoliones A and B

• Horst Weber,
• Kim-Thao Tran-Cong,
• Bernhard Mayer,
• Guido J. Reiss,
• Iryna S. Konovalova,
• Marc S. Appelhans,
• Kenneth R. Wood and
• Claus M. Passreiter

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 535–546, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.39

• hydrogenated pyran rings of 4 can only be linked cis, the two possible enantiomers of 4 have the following configuration: (6aR,9S,10aS,10bR) or (6aS,9R,10aR,10bS). Due to the finding, that the isolated compound showed no optical rotation, it exists as a racemate. A stereo model of 4 provided important

A facile and practical method for the synthesis of trans-(±)-taxifolin and its derivatives via Darzens reaction

• Bo Peng,
• Panpan Yang,
• Maaz Khan,
• Xiaotong Lin,
• Jiang Wu,
• Peng Fu and
• Qingqing Wu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 443–450, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.31

• transformation from dietary food to multifunctional medications in the near future. Taxifolin is a chiral compound with two stereocenters and exists as trans or cis isomers. It is commonly referred to as the trans dextral form (trans-(+)-taxifolin), which has higher bioactivity than its levorotatory enantiomer

• . The stereochemical outcome of the Darzens reaction may produce the α,β-epoxycarbonyl products with either the substituents on the same side or opposite side of the epoxy functionality, i.e., as cis/trans isomers. In this work, the α,β-epoxycarbonyl product contains bulky multiple-substituted benzene

Total synthesis of natural products based on hydrogenation of aromatic rings

• Haoxiang Wu and
• Xiangbing Qi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 88–122, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.4

• diastereoselective hydrogenation of symmetrical 2,5-DKP (2,5-dipiperazinone) 67 using a rhodium complex (Scheme 8) [63]. The saturated pentacyclic compound 68 was obtained in high yield and excellent diastereoselectivity. The hydrogen atoms in the final product were all arranged in cis configuration. Key features of

• catalyst in the presence of perchloric acid to obtain (−)-decahydrotabersonine, a product with a completely reduced aromatic ring (Scheme 13) [79]. Through the structural characterization of the product, the authors found that the hydrogenation was highly stereoselective, yielding only cis-hydrogenated

Synthesis and applications of alkenyl chlorides (vinyl chlorides): a review

• Daniel S. Müller

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 1–63, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.1

• reported the synthesis of conjugated alkenyl chloride 183 by chlorination of cis-diol 181 and subsequent elimination of product 182 with KOH (Scheme 31) [130]. Schlosser reported that treatment of 1,2-dichloroalkanes with sodium or potassium hydroxide in dimethoxyethane effected selective elimination

• phosphonium salt 342 is commercially available (CAS: 5293-84-5) and is frequently employed for the formation of alkenyl chlorides (e.g., Scheme 60C) [196]. It is noteworthy that a highly cis-selective variant, necessitating a sophisticated phosphonium salt, was reported by Schlosser in 1993 [197]. In 2006

Competitive cyclization of ethyl trifluoroacetoacetate and methyl ketones with 1,3-diamino-2-propanol into hydrogenated oxazolo- and pyrimido-condensed pyridones

• Svetlana O. Kushch,
• Marina V. Goryaeva,
• Yanina V. Burgart,
• Marina A. Ezhikova,
• Mikhail I. Kodess,
• Pavel A. Slepukhin,
• Alexandrina S. Volobueva,
• Vladimir V. Zarubaev and
• Victor I. Saloutin

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2716–2729, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.209

• composition of the products, increasing the content of the trans,cis-form 4atc to 20%. The use of 1,4-dioxane with acetic acid catalysis at different molar ratios (Table 1, entries 7, 8) led to the formation of a large fraction of unidentified by-products (42–61%), whereas the base catalysis with

• %) (Table 1, entry 10), with the formation of the cis,cis-bicycle 4acc as the predominant product (28%), while the proportion of hexahydrooxazolopyridones 5 was minimal (10%) compared to all other conditions. The highest content of hexahydrooxazolo[3,2-a]pyridin-5-one 5a was observed at room temperature in

• octahydrocyclopenta[b]oxazolo[3,2-a]pyridin-5-ones in the reactions of 3-oxo ester 1 and cycloketones with amino alcohols [26]. However, these attempts turned out to be unsuccessful because of the increased occurrence of side processes (56%); however, an increase in the proportion of the cis,trans

Recent advancements in the synthesis of Veratrum alkaloids

• Morwenna Mögel,
• David Berger and
• Philipp Heretsch

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2657–2693, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.206

• cevanine-type alkaloids has been reported [13][38][39][40][41][42]. The common hexacyclic framework is often highly oxidized and the hydroxy groups are further functionalized as esters of various carboxylic acids. Apart from the hydroxylation pattern, structural diversity is also imparted through a cis- or

• in refluxing toluene, giving 99 in 88% yield as a single diastereomer. Due to steric hindrance, dienophile 98 would approach the more accessible face of diene 97, i.e., cis to C8–H. Furthermore, exclusive endo-addition was observed because exo-addition would lead to severe interference between the

• TBSO-substituent on the dienophile and the diene. As a result of such endo-addition, the benzyloxy group in the diene and the acylpyridine of the dienophile are oriented cis to each other in adduct 99. Next up was the formation of the C20–OH by addition of MeMgBr to the ketone 99, which initially gave

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of the cardenolide rhodexin A and its aglycone sarmentogenin

• Fuzhen Song,
• Mengmeng Zheng,
• Dongkai Wang,
• Xudong Qu and
• Qianghui Zhou

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2637–2644, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.204

• – sarmentogenin and ʟ-rhamnose connected by the C3–O bond. In the steroidal skeleton, both the A/B and C/D rings are cis fused, which is different from common steroids. Besides, the steroidal skeleton is moderately oxidized at the C3, C11, and C14 positions. The introduction of the hydroxy groups and the

• C14 β-OH group. The revised synthetic route is described in Scheme 2. At first, 4 was subjected to a Pd/C-catalyzed hydrogenation to afford the desired A/B-cis fused intermediate 7 along with its C5 epimer as a 2:1 separable mixture in a quantitative yield. By treating 7 with the Bestmann ylide

Efficient solid-phase synthesis and structural characterization of segetalins A–H, J and K

• Liangyu Liu,
• Wanqiu Lu,
• Quanping Guo and
• Zhaoqing Xu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2612–2617, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.202

• ) and G (7) using a pseudoprolinic acid strategy to induce cis-amide bond formation, followed by desulfurization [19]. Despite achieving cyclization, this route involves intricate procedures, expensive starting materials, and has limited applicability to other segetalins. Given the limitations of

Recent advances in total synthesis of illisimonin A

• Juan Huang and
• Ming Yang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2571–2583, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.199

• directly, the team adopted a strategy involving rearrangement from the more accessible cis-pentalene isomer. They first assembled the cis-pentalene core through an elegant intramolecular Diels–Alder (IMDA) reaction. Subsequently, the conversion from cis to trans-pentalene was achieved via a semipinacol

• , obtained as a 1.7:1 mixture of diastereomers after protection of one of the carbonyl groups in 19 as enol ether with BOMCl. A silyl-tethered intramolecular Diels–Alder reaction of the in situ generated 22 constructed the tricyclo[5.2.1.01,5]decane core bearing a cis-pentalene unit, yielding compound 23

• rearrangement of 28 enabled the rearrangement of cis-pentalene to trans-pentalene, delivering intermediate 29, which possesses the same carbon skeleton as the natural product. Further oxidation of the primary alcohol to a carboxylic acid, accompanied by TBS deprotection, afforded hemiketal 30. Finally, a White

Rapid access to the core of malayamycin A by intramolecular dipolar cycloaddition

• Yilin Liu,
• Yuchen Yang,
• Chen Yang,
• Sha-Hua Huang,
• Jian Jin and
• Ran Hong

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2542–2547, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.196

• three contiguous stereogenic centers (Scheme 1A). The pyran ring was constructed by a RCM reaction [16]. Subsequent functionalization of the alkene to install the 1,2-cis-hydroxy amine required 6 steps from the sterically more demanding side. In continuing our recent interest in accessing unusual

• intermediate 5 will be converted into the final target after installation of the urea and uracil motifs. Accordingly, a nitrone-based latent functionality approach [28] would be tunable from fully substituted tetrahydrofuran-derived nitrone 7. The cis-1,2-hydroxy amine could be derived from oxazoline 6 through

• malayamycin A and other related uracil nucleosides via a dipolar cycloaddition. The latent functionality strategy employing oxazoline to reveal the cis-1,2-hydroxyamine moiety proves to be feasible, circumventing the lengthy route for alkene functionalization required in previous syntheses. Although the

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

• construction of the tetracyclic core of Aspidosperma alkaloids. Our method involves an Ir-catalyzed PET reaction of K for the stereoselective formation of the cis-configured BC bicyclic core with an all-carbon quaternary center [25][26]. Computational studies suggest that the observed tandem PET reaction of K

The intramolecular stabilizing effects of O-benzoyl substituents as a driving force of the acid-promoted pyranoside-into-furanoside rearrangement

• Alexey G. Gerbst,
• Sofya P. Nikogosova,
• Darya A. Rastrepaeva,
• Dmitry A. Argunov,
• Vadim B. Krylov and
• Nikolay E. Nifantiev

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2456–2464, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.187

• given in Table 1. Looking at the obtained conformations (Figure 5B), one can find that the same π–π interactions are present in the α-galactoside structures as in their β-isomers. However, there is a possibility of another interaction. This is the repulsion between the cis-oriented O-1 and O-2 atoms in

Transformation of the cyclohexane ring to the cyclopentane fragment of biologically active compounds

• Natalya Akhmetdinova,
• Ilgiz Biktagirov and
• Liliya Kh. Faizullina

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2416–2446, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.185

• C7, forming synthon 60. Destruction of this tetrahedral intermediate with migration of the aryl group promoted the formation of intermediate 61, decarboxylation of which led to the cis-substituted product 62. The resulting ketone 62 was the key synthon in the synthesis of (−)-taiwaniaquinone H (11

• Dotson et al. [84] for cis/trans salts 159 (Scheme 30). The authors noted that photochemical experiments carried out in benzene solutions with benzylic esters cis-159 or trans-159 gave complex product mixtures. To achieve higher conversion, a photochemical reaction was carried out in the crystalline

• in the stabilization of cationic reaction intermediates [91][92]. Yokoshima and co-workers [93][94] developed an elegant approach to the total synthesis of the alkaloid huperzine Q (206) in racemic form (Scheme 37). In the process of synthesis, a cis-hydrindane core was prepared from the known

The high potential of methyl laurate as a recyclable competitor to conventional toxic solvents in [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions

• Ayhan Yıldırım and
• Mustafa Göker

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2389–2415, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.184

• purification techniques [62][63][64]. Synthesis of pyrrolo-isoxazolidines utilizing nitrosoarenes via the multicomponent strategy is indeed feasible [65][66]. In a similar manner, Chakraborty obtained diastereomer products, primarily in cis configuration, from the cycloaddition reaction of a fluoro or a furyl

• ]. The 28:72 exo/endo (cis/trans) isomer ratio (Table 1, entry 9), obtained in this cycloaddition reaction indicates that the endo transition state is more stable, and that the thermodynamically more stable trans isomer is the major product in the reaction proceeding diastereoselectively through this

• -H6a and cis-H6a) is shown in Figure 10 for the compound 3a. Conversely, when these two reagents were heated in toluene, the ratio of cis/trans diastereoisomers was observed to be 1:1 [107], indicating that a remarkable diastereoselectivity can be achieved when methyl laurate is used as a solvent. The

Rotaxanes with integrated photoswitches: design principles, functional behavior, and emerging applications

• Jullyane Emi Matsushima,
• Khushbu,
• Zuliah Abdulsalam,
• Udyogi Navodya Kulathilaka Conthagamage and
• Víctor García-López

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2345–2366, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.179

• or upon irradiation with light at 280 nm. Azobenzene Azobenzene is one of the most widely utilized photoresponsive units in the design and synthesis of photoswitchable rotaxanes. These photoswitches undergo trans–cis isomerization and are classified as T-type, due to the thermal reversibility of the

• stilbene photoswitchable unit on the axle and an α-cyclodextrin macrocycle, where different wavelengths were required to induce isomerization of each photoswitch. Furthermore, after converting both units from trans to cis, the cyclodextrin was trapped in the middle of the axle. This reversible, light

• unhindered macrocycle movement, enabling effective K+ ion transport. Upon photoisomerization, the cis isomer restricts the macrocycle’s motion and slows ion transport (Figure 6). Importantly, this switching is reversible, permitting precise light-triggered control of ion transport. Such photoswitchable and

Pathway economy in cyclization of 1,n-enynes

• Hezhen Han,
• Wenjie Mao,
• Bin Lin,
• Maosheng Cheng,
• Lu Yang and
• Yongxiang Liu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2260–2282, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.173

• products and pharmaceutical agents. In 2013, Chan and co-workers reported a ligand-controlled cycloisomerization of 1,7-enyne esters affording the selective synthesis of cis-tetrahydropyridinones and δ-diketones (Scheme 16) [24]. When NHC-ligated gold catalysts were employed, a cascade sequence comprising

• 1,3-acyloxy migration, 6-exo-trig cyclization, and 1,5-acyl migration proceeded, affording δ-diketone-substituted cis-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine derivatives 75 (Scheme 16, path a). The phosphine-ligated catalysts promoted an alternative pathway cascade involving 1,3-acyloxy migration, 6-exo-trig

• cyclization, and hydrolysis, exclusively producing cis-tetrahydropyridin-4-one derivatives 77 (Scheme 16, path b). Mechanistic studies revealed that intermediate 74 could be stabilized by NHC ligands to facilitate 1,5-acyl migration, whereas phosphine ligands could accelerate proton dissociation in

Thiadiazino-indole, thiadiazino-carbazole and benzothiadiazino-carbazole dioxides: synthesis, physicochemical and early ADME characterization of representatives of new tri-, tetra- and pentacyclic ring systems and their intermediates

• Gyöngyvér Pusztai,
• László Poszávácz,
• Anna Vincze,
• András Marton,
• Ahmed Qasim Abdulhussein,
• Judit Halász,
• András Dancsó,
• Gyula Simig,
• György Tibor Balogh and
• Balázs Volk

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2220–2233, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.169

• hydrazino derivatives 5a,b with ketones 6a–e in the presence of bismuth nitrate pentahydrate catalyst in refluxing methanol with good to excellent yields (method A, step 1). As regards cis–trans isomerism, compounds (E)-7a and (E)-7f were isolated in high yields (94% and 84%, respectively), however, in the

C2 to C6 biobased carbonyl platforms for fine chemistry

• Jingjing Jiang,
• Muhammad Noman Haider Tariq,
• Florence Popowycz,
• Yanlong Gu and
• Yves Queneau

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2103–2172, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.165

• reaction involves the enantioselective organocatalyzed transfer of boronic acid to HFO followed by an intramolecular diastereoselective Passerini-type reaction. Varying the boronic acid enabled to reach high yields (Scheme 39) [124]. The tautomeric transformation of HFO to cis-β-formylacrylic acid was

• reported by Strizhov et al. [125]. The liable equilibrium transformation requires precisely pH-controlled conditions. In neutral medium, the furanone is in the form of its cis tautomer, while upon a slight increase in the pH, its cyclic original tautomer undergoes a ring opening with the formation of

• acid, fumaric acid and ʟ-aspartic acid by biocatalysis in 91%, 79%, 94%, 97% yield, respectively, in the presence of enzymes such as maleate hydratase, maleate cis–trans isomerase, fumarase, or ʟ-aspartase [155]. C5 biobased carbonyl platforms Furfural Furfural is a versatile biobased C5 platform

Further elaboration of the stereodivergent approach to chaetominine-type alkaloids: synthesis of the reported structures of aspera chaetominines A and B and revised structure of aspera chaetominine B

• Jin-Fang Lü,
• Jiang-Feng Wu,
• Jian-Liang Ye and
• Pei-Qiang Huang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2072–2081, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.162

• , we have communicated the revision of the structure of versiquinazoline H to 11. During and after the latter work, we undertook further investigation on the last step of our approach to chaetominine-type alkaloids, namely, the lactamization reaction for synthesizing 3,14-cis-chaetominines and the DMDO

• chaetominine B. Conclusion In summary, we have elaborated our epoxidation-triggered diastereodivergent approach to chaetominine-type alkaloids. As shown by the synthesis of (–)-isochaetominine A, the previously six-step total synthesis of 3,14-cis diastereomeric isochaetominines could be completed in five

Bioinspired total syntheses of natural products: a personal adventure

• Zhengyi Qin,
• Yuting Yang,
• Nuran Yan,
• Xinyu Liang,
• Zhiyu Zhang,
• Yaxuan Duan,
• Huilin Li and
• Xuegong She

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2048–2061, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.160

• form a cis-substituted tetrahydrofuran (THF) moiety fused to the lactone with higher oxidation states. Notably, the phenyl ring contains three oxygen substituents in the form of alcohol and methoxy groups at different positions. Biosynthetically, the THF ring was supposed to be formed through a

• transformation was successfully achieved by using PhI(OAc)2 as oxidant, providing 7-O-demethylmonocerin, containing the cis-substituted THF ring with sole diastereoselectivity. Site-selective mono-methylation gave rise to monocerin. The bioinspired approach successfully found applications in the total synthesis

Solar thermal fuels: azobenzene as a cyclic photon–heat transduction platform

• Jie Yan,
• Shaodong Sun,
• Minghao Wang and
• Si Wu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2036–2047, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.159

• temperature and the Tm of the isomerized cis-azobenzene is below room temperature, while others require solvent-assisted charging mechanisms [70][71]. This structural and functional diversity makes them particularly valuable for solar thermal storage applications. Feng et al. incorporated fluorinated

• comparisons highlight future directions for cross-material integration. The reversible trans–cis isomerization of azobenzene makes it an ideal model system for studying solar thermal fuels, as it enables both solar energy storage and heat release. While significant advances have been made, critical challenges

• , and hinders practical deployment. Third, azobenzene groups release energy through a process involving thermal relaxation or thermally induced cis–trans isomerization. Temperature critically governs the efficiency and kinetics of this process: elevated temperatures accelerate uncontrolled instantaneous