Oxetanes: formation, reactivity and total syntheses of natural products

• Peter Gabko,
• Martin Kalník and
• Maroš Bella

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1324–1373, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.101

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

• ]. Interestingly, initial attempts to convert 65 into 66 using various procedures for the palladium-catalysed C–H activation were unsuccessful, even when conducted at elevated temperatures. However, treatment of 65 with KOH in refluxing quinoline successfully yielded the desired PAH 66, albeit in a modest 15

Recent advances in oxidative radical difunctionalization of N-arylacrylamides enabled by carbon radical reagents

• Jiangfei Chen,
• Yi-Lin Qu,
• Ming Yuan,
• Xiang-Mei Wu,
• Heng-Pei Jiang,
• Ying Fu and
• Shengrong Guo

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1207–1271, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.98

• with α-aminoalkyl radicals generated from tertiary arylamines using photoredox catalysis (Scheme 13) [9]. In this system, Ir[dF(CF3)ppy]2(dtbbpy)PF6 was used as a photosensitizer to trigger the α-C–H activation of N,N-dimethylaniline, generating an alkyl radical under 30 W blue LED (454 nm) irradiation

Enhancing chemical synthesis planning: automated quantum mechanics-based regioselectivity prediction for C–H activation with directing groups

• Julius Seumer,
• Nicolai Ree and
• Jan H. Jensen

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1171–1182, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.94

• molecular architectures in pharmaceuticals, polymers, and agrochemicals. Despite advancements in directing group (DG) methodologies and computational approaches, predicting accurate regioselectivity in C–H activation poses significant difficulties due to the diversity and complexity of organic compounds

• . This study introduces a novel quantum mechanics-based computational workflow tailored for the regioselective prediction of C–H activation in the presence of DGs. Utilizing (semi-empirical) quantum calculations hierarchically, the workflow efficiently predicts outcomes by considering concerted

• reliable regioselectivity predictions that are essential for accelerating innovation in materials science and medicinal chemistry. Keywords: C–H activation; chemical synthesis planning; directing groups; quantum mechanics; regioselectivity prediction; Introduction The activation and functionalization of

Recent advances in synthetic approaches for bioactive cinnamic acid derivatives

• Betty A. Kustiana,
• Galuh Widiyarti and
• Teni Ernawati

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1031–1086, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.85

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

• the σ-alkylpalladium intermediate Int-50. The intermediate Int-50 undergoes C–H activation to generate the spiro-palladacycle Int-51, which proceeds via two possible pathways: 1) Path a: oxidative addition/reductive elimination or 2) path b: transmetalation/reductive elimination giving rise to

• reactivity of cyclic diazo imides and mechanism [40]. Palladium-catalyzed annulation of prochiral N-arylphosphonamides with aromatic iodides [41]. Time-dependent enantiodivergent synthesis [42]. Time-controlled palladium-catalyzed divergent synthesis of silacycles via C–H activation [43]. Proposed mechanism

• accumulation of 51. Since 51 is highly stable and resistant to reaction with MeOH (k2R << k2S ≈ k1R), it can be obtained with high optical purity after an extended reaction time (10 hours) In 2023, Yang and Liang jointly reported a tetrasilane (ODCS)-based method for time-controlled, palladium-catalyzed C–H

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

• efficient and economical approach for molecular synthesis [40]. This strategy has been widely applied in synthetic chemistry, the pharmaceutical industry, and materials science. Over the past few decades, transition-metal-catalyzed C–H activation reactions have been widely developed. Late-stage C–H

• functionalization of highly complex and diverse molecules, such as those of pharmaceuticals and natural products, has provided new retrosynthetic disconnections for complex compounds, contributing to improved resource efficiency [41][42][43][44][45][46]. Recently, the merging of C–H activation and electrochemistry

• Cu-catalyzed electrochemical C–H activation strategy through C–H alkynylation of arylamides followed by electrooxidative cascade annulation (Figure 4) [48]. This reaction enables sustainable C–H functionalization by utilizing electricity as the terminal oxidant instead of stoichiometric amounts of

Emerging trends in the optimization of organic synthesis through high-throughput tools and machine learning

• Pablo Quijano Velasco,
• Kedar Hippalgaonkar and
• Balamurugan Ramalingam

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 10–38, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.3

Direct trifluoroethylation of carbonyl sulfoxonium ylides using hypervalent iodine compounds

• Radell Echemendía,
• Carlee A. Montgomery,
• Fabio Cuzzucoli,
• Antonio C. B. Burtoloso and
• Graham K. Murphy

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 3182–3190, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.263

• ]. This synthetic potential has been demonstrated in a range of insertions into polar bonds [17][18][19][20], C−H activation transformations [21][22][23], and geminal difunctionalizations [24][25]. Within the literature, a broad array of classical methods describes the synthesis of sulfoxonium ylides [26

A review of recent advances in electrochemical and photoelectrochemical late-stage functionalization classified by anodic oxidation, cathodic reduction, and paired electrolysis

• Nian Li,
• Ruzal Sitdikov,
• Ajit Prabhakar Kale,
• Joost Steverlynck,
• Bo Li and
• Magnus Rueping

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2500–2566, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.214

• carboxylate substrate and [Ru(p-cymene)Cl2]2. Subsequently, the Ru complex coordinates with the aniline substrate, followed by C–H activation to form a six-membered Ru species. The final product is generated through reductive elimination, releasing Ru(0), which is then reoxidized on the anode to regenerate

• mechanism. Initially, C–H activation occurs, resulting in the formation of a cyclometalated Ir(III) intermediate. Ligand exchange with the alkyne substrate, followed by migratory insertion, leads to the formation of a seven-membered 18-electron Ir(III) complex. This complex then undergoes reductive

pKalculator: A pK_a predictor for C–H bonds

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

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1614–1622, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.144

• bond to create new connections has attracted increasing interest [1]. While past methods allowed for C–H transformations in simple molecules, recent synthetic protocols [2] enable selective C–H activation and diversification in larger molecules. This has, for example, attracted the pharmaceutical

Benzylic C(sp³)–H fluorination

• Alexander P. Atkins,
• Alice C. Dean and
• Alastair J. J. Lennox

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1527–1547, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.137

• on the arene were unsuccessful. Without substituents on the ring, aryl C–H activation and subsequent C–O bond formation occurred along with benzylic fluorination (7) (low efficiency). The presence of a p-methoxy group resulted in a switch in selectivity to acyloxylation 8’ as the major product. The

• with nucleophilic fluoride sources too (Figure 30) [77]. This process involved an initial quinoline-directed C–H activation by Pd(II), followed by oxidation to generate a Pd(IV)–fluoride complex capable of C–F reductive elimination to generate the primary benzyl fluoride. Under this protocol, eleven 8

Transition-metal-catalyst-free electroreductive alkene hydroarylation with aryl halides under visible-light irradiation

• Kosuke Yamamoto,
• Kazuhisa Arita,
• Masami Kuriyama and
• Osamu Onomura

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1327–1333, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.116

• versatile building blocks in organic syntheses. To achieve this transformation with high efficiency and predictable regioselectivity, numerous efforts have been made to develop transition-metal-catalyzed reactions based on a C–H activation strategy [1][2][3][4] or the reductive coupling of aryl halides with

Light on the sustainable preparation of aryl-cored dibromides

• Fabrizio Roncaglia,
• Alberto Ughetti,
• Nicola Porcelli,
• Biagio Anderlini,
• Andrea Severini and
• Luca Rigamonti

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1076–1087, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.95

• context of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), frequently assembled through imine linkages. While C–H activation through halogens presents clear technical advantages, it also brings forth concerns about the toxicity of halo compounds to both human health and the

Carbonylative synthesis and functionalization of indoles

• Alex De Salvo,
• Raffaella Mancuso and
• Xiao-Feng Wu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 973–1000, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.87

• bar of CO, in CH3CN at 160 °C. By this route, 29 examples were synthesized with isolated yields up to 91% (Scheme 27). One year later, Čarný and co-workers described a facile construction of the isoindolo[2,1-a]indol-6-one structure via a Pd-catalyzed aminocarbonylation and C–H activation reaction

(Bio)isosteres of ortho- and meta-substituted benzenes

• H. Erik Diepers and
• Johannes C. L. Walker

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 859–890, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.78

• shown by Molander and co-workers [77]. The synthesis of bridge heteroaryl 1,2,3-BCPs by a decarboxylative Minisci reaction was reported by Poole and co-workers [68]. The previously discussed C–H activation reported by MacMillan and co-workers (Scheme 2) was used to access a wide number of 1,2,3-BCPs [33

Regioselective quinazoline C2 modifications through the azide–tetrazole tautomeric equilibrium

• Dāgs Dāvis Līpiņš,
• Andris Jeminejs,
• Una Ušacka,
• Anatoly Mishnev,
• Māris Turks and
• Irina Novosjolova

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 675–683, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.61

• reactions of substituted anilines VI, VII or N-arylamidines VIII are frequently employed for synthesizing C2-substituted quinazolines (Scheme 1), thereby influencing the spatial arrangement of the desired substituents [13][14]. Moreover, there have been recent advancements in efficient C–H activation

Mono or double Pd-catalyzed C–H bond functionalization for the annulative π-extension of 1,8-dibromonaphthalene: a one pot access to fluoranthene derivatives

• Nahed Ketata,
• Linhao Liu,
• Ridha Ben Salem and
• Henri Doucet

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 427–435, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.37

• %) using again a large excess of DBU base (7 equiv) also allowed to prepare unsubstituted fluoranthene in 87% yield (Scheme 1c) [22]. The reaction of naphthol with aryl bromides followed by nonaflation and intramolecular C–H activation for the access to fluoranthenes has also been reported [23]. Most of

• adjacent or between the two fluorine atoms in these arenes. The synthesis of these two fluoranthene derivatives by Suzuki coupling followed by intramolecular C–H activation was therefore investigated. From (3,4-difluorophenyl)boronic acid and (3,5-difluorophenyl)boronic acid, target products 25 and 26 were

• palladium-catalyzed direct intermolecular arylation, followed by a direct intramolecular arylation step. As the C–H bond activation of several benzene derivatives remains very challenging, the preparation of fluoranthenes from 1,8-dibromonaphthalene via Suzuki coupling followed by intramolecular C–H

Additive-controlled chemoselective inter-/intramolecular hydroamination via electrochemical PCET process

• Kazuhiro Okamoto,
• Naoki Shida and
• Mahito Atobe

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 264–271, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.27

• electron-transfer to give the corresponding radical species through oxidative X–H bond cleavage. One such species is the amidyl radical, which is broadly synthetically useful as a nitrogen source in hydroamination reactions and as a hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reagent for remote C–H activation [2][3][4][5

Copper-promoted C5-selective bromination of 8-aminoquinoline amides with alkyl bromides

• Changdong Shao,
• Chen Ma,
• Li Li,
• Jingyi Liu,
• Yanan Shen,
• Chen Chen,
• Qionglin Yang,
• Tianyi Xu,
• Zhengsong Hu,
• Yuhe Kan and
• Tingting Zhang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 155–161, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.14

• important auxiliary group for the proximal C–H activation with the efforts of Daugulis [5] and others [6]. Results from medical research indicated that the introduction of halogen atoms into quinoline motifs has positive effects on their bioactivities, such as antimalarial, antitumor, and so on [7

Radical chemistry in polymer science: an overview and recent advances

• Zixiao Wang,
• Feichen Cui,
• Yang Sui and
• Jiajun Yan

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1580–1603, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.116

• of the chemical versatility of the hydroxy moiety (Scheme 15). Site-selective radical C–H activation has been proven to be a useful tool to functionalize relatively inert polymer backbones and upcycling of polymer waste (cf. section 4) [118][119]. Radical chain-end modification as a highly specific

Synthesis and biological evaluation of Argemone mexicana-inspired antimicrobials

• Jessica Villegas,
• Bryce C. Ball,
• Katelyn M. Shouse,
• Caleb W. VanArragon,
• Ashley N. Wasserman,
• Hannah E. Bhakta,
• Allen G. Oliver,
• Danielle A. Orozco-Nunnelly and
• Jeffrey M. Pruet

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1511–1524, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.108

• most streamlined method involves a copper-promoted Pictet–Spengler-type cyclization with glyoxal, with oxidative aromatization at the 8-position (Scheme 1) [30][35]. A recent report suggested a mechanistic role of Cu2+ involving C–H activation [36]; however, it is known that this reaction proceeds

N-Sulfenylsuccinimide/phthalimide: an alternative sulfenylating reagent in organic transformations

• Fatemeh Doraghi,
• Seyedeh Pegah Aledavoud,
• Mehdi Ghanbarlou,
• Bagher Larijani and
• Mohammad Mahdavi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1471–1502, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.106

• and acetic acid (AcOH) as a Brønsted acid, whereas i(a)midation was achieved by using Pd(OAc)2 as catalyst and Cu(OAc)2 as a Lewis acid. A possible mechanism for this chemodivergent C–H activation is depicted in Scheme 16. First, Pd catalyzed the formation of palladacycle I. Oxidative addition of AcOH

Radical ligand transfer: a general strategy for radical functionalization

• David T. Nemoto Jr,
• Kang-Jie Bian,
• Shih-Chieh Kao and
• Julian G. West

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1225–1233, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.90

• addition to alkenes and radical decarboxylation, with many of these being driven by light energy. RLT in alkene functionalization Outside of the realm of C–H activation, RLT has been leveraged to afford complex medicinal scaffolds in alkene difunctionalization. A recent example can be found in the merger

Pyridine C(sp²)–H bond functionalization under transition-metal and rare earth metal catalysis

• Haritha Sindhe,
• Malladi Mounika Reddy,
• Karthikeyan Rajkumar,
• Akshay Kamble,
• Amardeep Singh,
• Anand Kumar and
• Satyasheel Sharma

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 820–863, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.62

• , diversely functionalized pyridines have been synthesized via C–H activation under transition-metal and rare earth metal catalysis, including C–H alkylation, alkenylation, arylation, heteroarylation, borylation, etc. Recently, metal-free approaches have also been developed for the C–H functionalization of N

• mechanism involves the coordination of pyridine to the metal center of the cationic catalyst and B(C6F5)3 promotes the ortho-C–H activation (deprotonation) of pyridine to afford pyridyl species 6. Next, the 2,1-migratory insertion of alkene 2 into the metal–pyridyl bond in 6 gives the intermediate 7, which

• on subsequent deprotonation gives the branched alkylated product 4. Whereas, in case of styrene 3 a 1,2-insertion takes place possibly due to the formation of the stable benzallylic species 8, which on deprotonation gives the linear alkylated product 5. The C–H activation/C–C cross-coupling reaction