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

• condensation between 27 and the aldehyde afforded INT-A, which was activated by the CPA catalyst through hydrogen bonding interaction. The nucleophilic addition of isocyanide to Int-A produced INT-B bearing a stereogenic center. Subsequently, INT-B underwent intramolecular cyclization to generate axially

3-Aryl-2H-azirines as annulation reagents in the Ni(II)-catalyzed synthesis of 1H-benzo[4,5]thieno[3,2-b]pyrroles

• Julia I. Pavlenko,
• Pavel A. Sakharov,
• Anastasiya V. Agafonova,
• Derenik A. Isadzhanyan,
• Alexander F. Khlebnikov and
• Mikhail S. Novikov

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1595–1602, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.123

• an ortho-substituent into the benzene ring also has no effect on the synthesis efficiency (compound 3f). A slight decrease in yield was observed only for the naphthyl-substituted annulation product 3k. The plausible mechanism of the reaction involves the nucleophilic addition of the Ni-enolate of 1

General method for the synthesis of enaminones via photocatalysis

• Paula Pérez-Ramos,
• Raquel G. Soengas and
• Humberto Rodríguez-Solla

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1535–1543, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.116

• indicate that the key to the success of this process is the formation of an unexplored ternary Ni-complex with 3-bromochromone and a pyridinium salt, which is crucial for the effective activation of the α,β-unsaturated system towards the nucleophilic addition. Keywords: chromones; dehalogenation

• enaminones. This transformation is simple, straightforward, and proceeds under mild conditions. Results and Discussion The initial challenge in achieving the desired reactivity was the activation of the unsaturated system towards the nucleophilic addition of the amine. The most common strategy to increase

• -bromochromones to Ni(II) and a pyridinium salt, giving rise to a ternary Ni-complex which activates the α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound towards nucleophilic addition. The presented method is operationally simple and can be conducted using low catalyst loadings of a Ni-catalyst and an inexpensive organic

Recent advances and future challenges in the bottom-up synthesis of azulene-embedded nanographenes

• Bartłomiej Pigulski

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1272–1305, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.99

• constructed by condensation of dialdehyde 160 with compounds 161–163 yielding diketones 164–166. Next, diketones 164–166 were subjected to nucleophilic addition reaction by lithiated triisopropylsilyl (TIPS) acetylene, followed by SnCl2-mediated reduction of the intermediate diols. Finally, azulene-embedded

Recent total synthesis of natural products leveraging a strategy of enamide cyclization

• Chun-Yu Mi,
• Jia-Yuan Zhai and
• Xiao-Ming Zhang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 999–1009, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.81

• incorporated into cyclization reactions. The iminium species generated from enamides via nucleophilic addition or substitution are capable of engaging in further electrophilic additions or isomerization processes. Exploiting the multiple reactivities of enamides facilitates the development of diverse

• nucleophilic addition or substitution, the resulting iminium ions often undergo direct hydrolysis, preventing further use in a cascade nucleophilic addition. As a result, enamines are not ideal partners in tandem reactions for the synthesis of nitrogen-containing products. As analogues to enamines, the

• iminium intermediates can serve as electrophiles. Due to the presence of an amide, the resulting iminiums from the enamides can be stabilized to take part in the second nucleophilic addition, though direct isomerization of the iminiums to the enamides is also possible (Figure 1). Guided by these

Recent advances in controllable/divergent synthesis

• Jilei Cao,
• Leiyang Bai and
• Xuefeng Jiang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 890–914, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.73

• nucleophilic addition, and subsequent release of one molecule of amide, reactivating the active ruthenium(II) catalyst. In contrast, for diazomalonates, intermediate Int-78 releases ammonia with the help of Ru(II) or acetic acid, ultimately yielding 3H-indole 80. This change in selectivity may be due to the

Development and mechanistic studies of calcium–BINOL phosphate-catalyzed hydrocyanation of hydrazones

• Carola Tortora,
• Christian A. Fischer,
• Sascha Kohlbauer,
• Alexandru Zamfir,
• Gerd M. Ballmann,
• Jürgen Pahl,
• Sjoerd Harder and
• Svetlana B. Tsogoeva

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 755–765, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.59

• observation of enantioselectivity must be explained by relative energies of stereoisomeric forms of TS 9-10. Reversible formation of product 10 from nucleophilic addition step via TS 9-10 is slightly endothermic (Figure 3). In 10, cyanide is still attached via nitrogen to calcium, forming a formal Ca–N–C–C–N

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

• into tetrahydroquinoline (THQ)-based 6-6-4-membered ring systems through a combination of nucleophilic addition and borate-mediated [2 + 2] photocycloaddition, offering a catalyst-free approach to construct conformationally constrained 2D/3D frameworks with high functional group compatibility and

Origami with small molecules: exploiting the C–F bond as a conformational tool

• Patrick Ryan,
• Ramsha Iftikhar and
• Luke Hunter

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 680–716, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.54

Formaldehyde surrogates in multicomponent reactions

• Cecilia I. Attorresi,
• Javier A. Ramírez and
• Bernhard Westermann

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 564–595, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.45

• decompose into DMS (dimethyl sulfide), which then can act as a nucleophile in several MCRs (Scheme 4) [19][20][21][22]. In this context, DMSO can be used as a source of the methylsulfanyl (-SCH3) group after DMS follows a nucleophilic addition or substitution, allowing one to obtain different types of

• nucleophilic species present in the reaction medium, MMS can act as a methylene source. Under hydrolysis conditions, it can be a source of formaldehyde (Scheme 5a), but with other nucleophiles, after nucleophilic addition, the sulfide group can work as a leaving group, allowing for a sequential domino process

• in the case of formaldehyde, making the reaction more regioselective. In the cases shown above, we discussed different ways to activate DMSO. In almost all of them, MMS appears as the reactive species due to its high electrophilicity, which allows for an efficient nucleophilic addition, and the

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

• dioxazolone 7. Subsequently, nitrene insertion of INT-12 into the Cu–C bond, forms INT-13, which then undergoes isomerization and protodemetalation, followed by catalyst regeneration, as suggested by the DFT calculations. Finally, the nucleophilic addition of the amine to the electrophilic intermediate INT-15

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

• (Scheme 16) [33]. The reaction, which occurs with formation of C–C, C–N and C–O bonds, involves a nucleophilic addition of the activated alkyne XIV to the in situ-generated iminium ion XV, followed by cyclization to form a quinoxalin-2-one intermediate XVI. A subsequent 5-endo-dig cyclization involving

• corresponding saturated compounds. Subsequent nucleophilic addition of the cyclic vinyl ether to the iminium salt generates an intermediate XXI susceptible of intramolecular electrophilic attack to give a tricyclic structure XXII. The final deprotonation provides the desired product 24. The multicomponent

Recent advances in organocatalytic atroposelective reactions

• Henrich Szabados and
• Radovan Šebesta

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 55–121, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.6

• intermediate Int-9. As the assumed rate-determining step the intramolecular nucleophilic addition takes place, followed by further cyclization and finally, release of the organocatalyst to form the axially chiral product 9. Various aryl-substituted indolines 9 were obtained in good yields and high enantiomeric

• enantioselectivity during the nucleophilic addition, and the subsequent aromatization completes central-to-axial chirality conversion delivering products 68. Dynamic kinetic resolution of naphthylindoles 69 was performed by reaction with bulky electrophiles such as azodicarboxylates 70 or o-hydroxybenzyl alcohols 72

• . The proposed reaction pathway follows hydrogen bonding with alkynylnaphthylamine and later nucleophilic addition of the allene intermediate. The synthesis on the preparative scale provided product 183 with almost no deterioration in yield or enantioselectivity (90%, 91% ee). This product could then be

Non-covalent organocatalyzed enantioselective cyclization reactions of α,β-unsaturated imines

• Sergio Torres-Oya and
• Mercedes Zurro

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 3221–3255, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.268

• hydrogen bonding with the protonated tertiary amine. Then, a Michael addition of malononitrile to the azadiene takes place to obtain exclusively the (S)-intermediate A. Subsequently an intramolecular nucleophilic addition of the nitrile leads to the intermediate B, which undergoes tautomerization to

Advances in radical peroxidation with hydroperoxides

• Oleg V. Bityukov,
• Pavel Yu. Serdyuchenko,
• Andrey S. Kirillov,
• Gennady I. Nikishin,
• Vera A. Vil’ and
• Alexander O. Terent’ev

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2959–3006, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.249

• mainly include: nucleophilic addition or nucleophilic substitution with H2O2 or ROOH [17][18], autoxidation with O2, pericyclic reactions of unsaturated bonds with O3 or O2, and metal-catalyzed peroxidation (Isayama–Mukaiyama hydrosilylperoxidation [19][20], for example) [21][22][23]. As the topic is

• to generate the iodoperoxidate intermediate C. Finally, nucleophilic addition of anion of carboxylic acid to intermediate C generates the desired product 216. Based on the iodination/peroxidation strategy the approach to α-hydroxy-β-peroxyethylarenes 219 and α-alkoxy-β-peroxyethylarenes 218 from

Synthesis of tricarbonylated propargylamine and conversion to 2,5-disubstituted oxazole-4-carboxylates

• Kento Iwai,
• Akari Hikasa,
• Kotaro Yoshioka,
• Shinki Tani,
• Kazuto Umezu and
• Nagatoshi Nishiwaki

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2827–2833, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.238

• ] because of their easily modifiable dipeptide frameworks. Several methods exist for accessing PCPAs, such as the amination of 1-halo-1-alkynes [16][17], tandem reactions of α-imino esters with nucleophiles and electrophiles [18], and the nucleophilic addition of an acetylide to α-carbonylated N-acylimines

• derivative has been employed (Scheme 1) [13][14]. Recently, we have demonstrated that the central carbonyl group of DEMO is highly electrophilic, facilitating the nucleophilic addition of less reactive reagents such as acid amides [23][24][25][26]. When the reaction was conducted in the presence of acetic

• anhydride, the intermediately formed hemiacetal underwent acetylation, leading to N,O-acetals 1. In this method, an acid amide can be used as an amine masked with an acyl group. Subsequent elimination of acetic acid occurred to afford 2 in situ upon treatment with a base, enabling nucleophilic addition with

Base-promoted cascade recyclization of allomaltol derivatives containing an amide fragment into substituted 3-(1-hydroxyethylidene)tetronic acids

• Andrey N. Komogortsev,
• Constantine V. Milyutin and
• Boris V. Lichitsky

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2585–2591, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.217

• was isolated in unchanged form. It should be mentioned that the key step of the studied recyclization is an intramolecular nucleophilic addition of a nitrogen atom at the double bond of the pyranone ring. Comparing the chemical properties of the considered amides and hydrazides it can be assumed that

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

• , Via Gobetti 85, 40129 Bologna, Italy 10.3762/bjoc.20.210 Abstract The direct nucleophilic addition of amides to unfunctionalized alkenes via photoredox catalysis represents a facile approach towards functionalized alkylamides. Unfortunately, the scarce nucleophilicity of amides and competitive side

• reactions limit the utility of this approach. Herein, we report an intramolecular photoredox cyclization of alkenes with β-lactams in the presence of an acridinium photocatalyst. The approach uses an intramolecular nucleophilic addition of the β-lactam nitrogen atom to the radical cation photogenerated in

• functionalization of amides with alkenes under photoredox conditions. Another viable approach for amide functionalization through photoredox catalysis involves the nucleophilic addition, in the presence of base, of an amide to a radical cation obtained by oxidation of an unfunctionalized alkene moiety (Figure 1A

Facile preparation of fluorine-containing 2,3-epoxypropanoates and their epoxy ring-opening reactions with various nucleophiles

• Yutaro Miyashita,
• Sae Someya,
• Tomoko Kawasaki-Takasuka,
• Tomohiro Agou and
• Takashi Yamazaki

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2421–2433, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.206

• anionic species from, for example, malonate. One reason could be because of the formation of the less stable alkoxide by the progress of the nucleophilic addition. If this is really the case, the presence of the strongly electron-withdrawing fluorine-containing groups in our instance should nicely affect

Asymmetric organocatalytic synthesis of chiral homoallylic amines

• Nikolay S. Kondratyev and
• Andrei V. Malkov

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2349–2377, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.201

• highly enantioselective nucleophilic addition of primary (10), secondary, and even tertiary allylboronates, as well as allenylboronates to a broad set of imines, bearing the N-phosphinoyl group. The new approach allowed the activation of both the substrate and the reagent using aminophenol organocatalyst

• -Fmoc-aryl- and -alkylimines, catalysed by a chiral disulfonimide 45 (Scheme 10). Since allyltrimethylsilane (46) belongs to the type 2 allylation reagents [33], the nucleophilic addition proceeds via an open transition state (Figure 1). Two possible mechanistic pathways were proposed, where the Fmoc

• enantioselective allylation of imines was described by Ryu’s group as a part of a wider asymmetric nucleophilic addition methodology [37]. The method is based on the use of 20 mol % of sterically hindered chiral oxazaborolidinium ion (COBI) 63, that can be readily prepared from a relatively inexpensive

Stereoselective mechanochemical synthesis of thiomalonate Michael adducts via iminium catalysis by chiral primary amines

• Michał Błauciak,
• Dominika Andrzejczyk,
• Błażej Dziuk and
• Rafał Kowalczyk

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2313–2322, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.198

• catalysis with hydrogen bonding units has been essential for achieving high reactivity and enantioselectivities [21][22]. Additionally, the reactivity of the nucleophilic addition is influenced by substitutions near the electron-poor double bond. This approach requires 30 mol % of catalyst and a reaction

• efficiency. Motivated by our curiosity surrounding the reactivity of alicyclic enones with bis-thiomalonates, we embarked on a study to evaluate a chosen catalytic system's efficacy under both standard conditions and mechanochemical milling. We aimed to facilitate the nucleophilic addition of 1–4 to 4

Catalysing (organo-)catalysis: Trends in the application of machine learning to enantioselective organocatalysis

• Stefan P. Schmid,
• Leon Schlosser,
• Frank Glorius and
• Kjell Jorner

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2280–2304, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.196

Selective hydrolysis of α-oxo ketene N,S-acetals in water: switchable aqueous synthesis of β-keto thioesters and β-keto amides

• Haifeng Yu,
• Wanting Zhang,
• Xuejing Cui,
• Zida Liu,
• Xifu Zhang and
• Xiaobo Zhao

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2225–2233, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.190

• thioesters and acyl chlorides (Scheme 1a, path 7) [30]. For β-keto amides, they could be efficiently synthesized from the nucleophilic substitution reactions of amines with β-keto acids (Scheme 1b, path 1) [31][32][33], β-keto esters (Scheme 1b, path 2) [34] and the nucleophilic addition reactions of amines

Heterocycle-guided synthesis of m-hetarylanilines via three-component benzannulation

• Andrey R. Galeev,
• Maksim V. Dmitriev,
• Alexander S. Novikov and
• Andrey N. Maslivets

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2208–2216, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.188

• of acetone and amines 2 leads to the formation of acetone imine/enamine (reaction 1, Scheme 6). Nucleophilic addition of an enamine to the most electron-deficient carbonyl group (C1=O, adjacent to the EWG) of the 1,3-diketones 1 gives the acyclic carbinol I (reaction 2, Scheme 6), followed by the

Multicomponent syntheses of pyrazoles via (3 + 2)-cyclocondensation and (3 + 2)-cycloaddition key steps

• Ignaz Betcke,
• Alissa C. Götzinger,
• Maryna M. Kornet and
• Thomas J. J. Müller

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2024–2077, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.178

• , product 17a shows cytotoxic activity against Hep G2 hepatocellular carcinoma and MCF-7 breast carcinoma cell lines. The synthesis of 3,5-bis(arylamino)pyrazoles 21 involves the preparation of bisarylthioamides 22 via nucleophilic addition and double retro-Claisen condensation of isothiocyanates 19 and

• -hydroxypyrazoles 143 and not tautomeric 3-pyrazolones. Alternative access to alkynones can be achieved by nucleophilic addition of lithiated alkynes to N-substituted phthalimides 145, followed by ring opening to give, upon the addition of water, the corresponding 3-hydroxyindolines. These intermediates are in