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

• -methylene group and an ester reduction/Appel reaction sequence to convert the ester moiety to an iodide leaving group. The right-hand fragment (E/F-ring) was synthesized from tert-butylsiloxyfuran 39. Commencing via an asymmetric allylic alkylation and an aza-Michael reaction, butanolide 40 was obtained in

Enantioselective desymmetrization strategy of prochiral 1,3-diols in natural product synthesis

• Lihua Wei,
• Rui Yang,
• Zhifeng Shi and
• Zhiqiang Ma

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1932–1963, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.151

• between 80 and 81 gave diester 82. Through a ten-step sequence including an aza-Michael reaction, diester 82 was converted into diketone 83, which was further transformed into (−)-petrosin (84) via RCM reaction and hydrogenation. For the synthesis of (+)-petrosin (86) (Scheme 13b), a similar strategy was

Reactions of acryl thioamides with iminoiodinanes as a one-step synthesis of N-sulfonyl-2,3-dihydro-1,2-thiazoles

• Vladimir G. Ilkin,
• Pavel S. Silaichev,
• Valeriy O. Filimonov,
• Tetyana V. Beryozkina,
• Margarita D. Likhacheva,
• Pavel A. Slepukhin,
• Wim Dehaen and
• Vasiliy A. Bakulev

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1397–1403, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.104

• analogy with an aza-Michael reaction first with the addition of iminoiodinane accompanied with reorganization of double bonds including attack of the negatively charged sulfur atom on nitrogen with subsequent elimination of iodobenzene as good leaving group. The diversity of the structure of the target

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

• azadiene in a stepwise mechanism: firstly, the vinylogous Michael addition of the dienolate to the double bond of the α,β-unsaturated N-sulfonylimine occurs in a stereoselective fashion. Subsequently, cyclization due to an intramolecular aza-Michael reaction and protonation leads to the enantioenriched

Recent advances in organocatalytic asymmetric aza-Michael reactions of amines and amides

• Pratibha Sharma,
• Raakhi Gupta and
• Raj K. Bansal

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 2585–2610, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.173

• asymmetric aza-Michael reaction (aza-MR) alone or in tandem with other organic reaction(s) is an important synthetic tool to form new C–N bond(s) leading to developing new libraries of diverse types of bioactive nitrogen compounds. The synthesis and application of a variety of organocatalysts for

• organocatalysts in asymmetric aza-MR. Keywords: asymmetric aza-Michael reaction; covalent bonding catalysis; nitrogen heterocycles; non-covalent bonding catalysis; organocatalysis; Introduction The Michael reaction though discovered about 135 years ago [1][2] continues to attract attention of the chemists owing

• ][5][6][7]. The reaction involving a nitrogen-based nucleophile as the Michael donor is known as the aza-Michael reaction (aza-MR). In view of its ability to introduce a nitrogen-containing functionality at the β-position of an activated alkenyl- or alkynyl-substrate, over the years, it has developed

N-tert-Butanesulfinyl imines in the asymmetric synthesis of nitrogen-containing heterocycles

• Joseane A. Mendes,
• Paulo R. R. Costa,
• Miguel Yus,
• Francisco Foubelo and
• Camilla D. Buarque

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 1096–1140, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.86

• -workers found that combining an asymmetric nucleophilic addition to the chiral imine, with an intramolecular conjugate aza-Michael reaction, the expected 1,3-disubstituted isoindolines were produced with high diastereoselectivity [96]. Importantly, depending on the base involved in the intramolecular aza

• -Michael reaction, it was possible to reach either cis- or trans-isoindolines, 69 and 70, respectively, from the same precursor 68. The authors proposed that the thermodynamically more stable cis-isomer 69 is formed when TBAF was used. Meanwhile, working under kinetic conditions (DBU as base), trans-isomer

A chemoenzymatic synthesis of ceramide trafficking inhibitor HPA-12

• Seema V. Kanojia,
• Sucheta Chatterjee,
• Subrata Chattopadhyay and
• Dibakar Goswami

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 490–496, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.42

• /aza-Michael reaction of 3,6-dihydro-1,2-dioxines followed by diastereoselective reduction [25]. Most of these methods employ starting materials or catalysts, which are not commercially available, and also require operationally demanding reaction conditions. Hence a need to develop a simple, efficient

DABCO- and DBU-promoted one-pot reaction of N-sulfonyl ketimines with Morita–Baylis–Hillman carbonates: a sequential approach to (2-hydroxyaryl)nicotinate derivatives

• Soumitra Guin,
• Raman Gupta,
• Debashis Majee and
• Sampak Samanta

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 2771–2778, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.254

• ' fashion to make a very reactive allyl ammonium intermediate 6. The latter further involves in the SN2' reaction with in situ generated carbanion intermediate 1a' forming SN2-adduct 3a. It undergoes an intramolecular aza-Michael reaction in the presence of DABCO, leading to tricyclic product 4a. For the

• -Michael reaction between MBH carbonates derived from an acrylate/acrylonitrile and N-sulfonyl ketimines as C,N-binucleophiles catalyzed by DABCO, followed by elimination of SO2 under the influence of base and subsequent aromatization in an open atmosphere. Keywords: MBH carbonates; metal-free; N-sulfonyl

• -hydroxyaryl)pyridine derivatives bearing a carboxylate or a nitrile group suitably placed at C3 position of the aza-ring has been achieved in acceptable chemical yields with a broad functional group tolerance. This sequential C–C/C–N bond making process proceeds through a regioselective allylic alkylation/aza

Synthesis of cis-hydrindan-2,4-diones bearing an all-carbon quaternary center by a Danheiser annulation

• Gisela V. Saborit,
• Carlos Cativiela,
• Ana I. Jiménez,
• Josep Bonjoch and
• Ben Bradshaw

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 2597–2601, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.237

• , following our previously developed procedure, to give decahydroquinoline 1 [23]. The removal of the tert-butyl ester group with TFA, followed by treatment with LiOH in refluxing THF promoted a retro-aza-Michael reaction yielding the ring-opened product 3 [33]. The latter was trapped in situ with benzyl

• -Michael reaction, removal of a tert-butoxycarbonyl ester, base-promoted ring opening and tosylamide benzylation, without significant detrimental effect on the overall yield (see Supporting Information File 1). With the key precursor 4 in hand, the stage was set to study the Danheiser annulation step

• bromide to furnish cyclohexenone 4 in 86% overall yield over the two steps from 1. Additionally, the overall transformation from the starting material 2 was also performed in a one-pot sequence involving six reactions, namely, an intermolecular Michael reaction, aldol cyclization, intramolecular aza

Diastereoselective auxiliary- and catalyst-controlled intramolecular aza-Michael reaction for the elaboration of enantioenriched 3-substituted isoindolinones. Application to the synthesis of a new pazinaclone analogue

• Romain Sallio,
• Stéphane Lebrun,
• Frédéric Capet,
• Francine Agbossou-Niedercorn,
• Christophe Michon and
• Eric Deniau

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 593–602, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.46

• intramolecular aza-Michael reaction by means of both a chiral auxiliary and a catalyst for stereocontrol is reported for the synthesis of optically active isoindolinones. A selected cinchoninium salt was used as phase-transfer catalyst in combination with a chiral nucleophile, a Michael acceptor and a base to

• provide 3-substituted isoindolinones in good yields and diastereomeric excesses. This methodology was applied to the asymmetric synthesis of a new pazinaclone analogue which is of interest in the field of benzodiazepine-receptor agonists. Keywords: asymmetric organocatalysis; Aza-Michael reaction; phase

• carbon stereocenter alpha to the nitrogen [10][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. Though various metal or organic catalysts were used to promote the aza-Michael reaction in different syntheses for the creation of nitrogen–carbon bonds, phase-transfer catalysts were less studied

(Thio)urea-mediated synthesis of functionalized six-membered rings with multiple chiral centers

• Giorgos Koutoulogenis,
• Nikolaos Kaplaneris and
• Christoforos G. Kokotos

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 462–495, doi:10.3762/bjoc.12.48

• it near the enolate. In 2011, You and co-workers described the intramolecular desymmetrization of cyclohexadienones 69 catalyzed by thiourea 71, derived from cinchonine to give a bicyclic system 70 containing two chiral centers, utilizing an aza-Michael reaction (Scheme 24) [34]. The reaction

• constructed via a desymmetrization aza-Michael reaction. That key intermediate 72 was afforded in 91% yield and 97% ee. (Scheme 25). In 2012, Cobb and co-workers developed a novel asymmetric Michael–Michael reaction between nitrohex-4-enoates 73 and nitroolefins 74 to construct a cyclohexene moiety, bearing

• through an intramolecular aza-Michael reaction [34]. Enantioselective synthesis of (−)-mesembrine [34]. A novel asymmetric Michael–Michael reaction [35]. Asymmetric

Total synthesis of (−)-epimyrtine by a gold-catalyzed hydroamination approach

• Thi Thanh Huyen Trinh,
• Khanh Hung Nguyen,
• Patricia de Aguiar Amaral and
• Nicolas Gouault

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2013, 9, 2042–2047, doi:10.3762/bjoc.9.242

• of (−)-epimyrtine have been described to date including the intramolecular allylsilane N-acyliminium ion cyclization [6], the organocatalytic aza-Michael reaction [7], the intramolecular Mannich reaction [8], and the iminium ion cascade reaction [9][10]. More efficient, convenient and highly

The chemistry of amine radical cations produced by visible light photoredox catalysis

• Jie Hu,
• Jiang Wang,
• Theresa H. Nguyen and
• Nan Zheng

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2013, 9, 1977–2001, doi:10.3762/bjoc.9.234

• 15 by abstraction of a hydrogen atom directly. The addition of the enol form of α-ketoester 59 to 15 furnishes the Mannich adduct 60. A retro-aza-Michael reaction via enol 61 allows cleavage of the C–N bond to yield secondary aniline 62. Aniline 62 is first oxidized to imine 63, which is further

Efficient synthesis of β’-amino-α,β-unsaturated ketones

• Isabelle Abrunhosa-Thomas,
• Aurélie Plas,
• Nishanth Kandepedu,
• Pierre Chalard and
• Yves Troin

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2013, 9, 486–495, doi:10.3762/bjoc.9.52

• devised for the asymmetric synthesis of β’-amino-protected-α,β enones, a valuable intermediate for the synthesis of trans 2,6-disubstituted piperidines. The scope and limitation of the aza-Michael reaction were studied with a range of substrates. We are currently working on the application of this

Organocatalytic tandem Michael addition reactions: A powerful access to the enantioselective synthesis of functionalized chromenes, thiochromenes and 1,2-dihydroquinolines

• Chittaranjan Bhanja,
• Satyaban Jena,
• Sabita Nayak and
• Seetaram Mohapatra

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2012, 8, 1668–1694, doi:10.3762/bjoc.8.191

• %) (Scheme 31). In this cascade reaction, the installation of electron-withdrawing groups on the amino moiety of 2-aminobenzaldehydes is anticipated to increase the aniline N–H acidity, the abstraction of which by the tertiary amine leads to an aza-Michael reaction. The thiourea group in the chiral catalyst

Single enantiomer synthesis of α-(trifluoromethyl)-β-lactam

• Václav Jurčík,
• Alexandra M. Z. Slawin and
• David O'Hagan

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2011, 7, 759–766, doi:10.3762/bjoc.7.86

• explored for the hydrogenolysis of 5a, however cleavage of the C–N bond proved very difficult and a satisfactory method could not be found. Therefore, (S)-α-(p-methoxyphenyl)ethylamine (3b) was explored as an alternative amine for the aza-Michael reaction, as removal of this amine using ceric ammonium

• nitrate (CAN) oxidation offered a milder deprotection method [15]. The aza-Michael reaction proved straightforward to generate 4b and then cyclisation again using thionyl chloride and triethylamine gave β-lactams 5b in a 40% de, presumably again a thermodynamically biased isomer ratio. The