Enantioselective radical chemistry: a bright future ahead

• Anna C. Renner,
• Sagar S. Thorat,
• Hariharaputhiran Subramanian and
• Mukund P. Sibi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2283–2296, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.174

• Anna C. Renner Sagar S. Thorat Hariharaputhiran Subramanian Mukund P. Sibi Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, 58105-5516, USA 10.3762/bjoc.21.174 Abstract This perspective is focused on enantioselective free radical reactions. It

• catalysis is discussed initially. This is followed by the recently emerging areas of transition-metal catalysis, photoenzymatic catalysis, and electrochemistry. Perspective Radical generation and reactions Synthetic methods based on free radical chemistry are some of the most efficient and powerful tools

• one way to convert a free radical to a more stable intermediate, which can subsequently undergo coupling with another radical via an SH2 (bimolecular homolytic substitution) mechanism. Lastly, some noteworthy radical processes proceed through a radical–polar crossover pathway, in which one-electron

Electrochemical cyclization of alkynes to construct five-membered nitrogen-heterocyclic rings

• Lifen Peng,
• Ting Wang,
• Zhiwen Yuan,
• Bin Li,
• Zilong Tang,
• Xirong Liu,
• Hui Li,
• Guofang Jiang,
• Chunling Zeng,
• Henry N. C. Wong and
• Xiao-Shui Peng

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2173–2201, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.166

• iodide B. Attachment of B by N3− gave intermediate C. A free radical species E was obtained from C through oxidation and elimination of N2 via intermediate D. The subsequent [1,5]-H shift generated α-amino radical F, which was converted into the final product 46a by oxidation and cyclization. This

Continuous-flow-enabled intensification in nitration processes: a review of technological developments and practical applications over the past decade

• Feng Zhou,
• Chuansong Duanmu,
• Yanxing Li,
• Jin Li,
• Haiqing Xu,
• Pan Wang and
• Kai Zhu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1678–1699, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.132

• aliphatic counterparts) due to their predictable electrophilic substitution mechanisms and relatively mild reaction conditions, which enable superior controllability and regioselectivity. Unlike aromatic nitrations that predominantly follow ionic mechanisms, aliphatic systems governed by free radical

• , scalability for mass production, and broad substrate applicability. Nitration reactions using inorganic nitrating reagents predominantly occur through two distinct mechanistic pathways: free radical and ionic mechanisms. The free radical-mediated nitration pathways using inorganic nitrating reagents remain

• mechanistic classifications are not absolute – an aliphatic nitration may occasionally proceed via ionic pathways, whereas certain aromatic systems demonstrate free radical-mediated reactivity. A notable example of free radical involvement in aromatic nitration was reported by Murray et al., who elucidated a

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

• intermediate formation of free radical species [9]. A similar reaction of N-acetyl substituted indole 9c produced [3 + 2] cycloaddition products 12 in even lower yield (4%). However, the main reaction product turned out to be unstable compound 13, which, nevertheless, was isolated in 40% yield as a single

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

• halogenated oxindole product. In 2023, Kuniyil and Yatham’s group reported a redox-neutral, metal-free radical cascade cyclization strategy for the functionalization of N-arylacrylamides using unactivated alkyl and aryl chlorides, enabling the efficient construction of 3,3-disubstituted oxindoles 92 under

Synthesis of β-ketophosphonates through aerobic copper(II)-mediated phosphorylation of enol acetates

• Alexander S. Budnikov,
• Igor B. Krylov,
• Fedor K. Monin,
• Valentina M. Merkulova,
• Alexey I. Ilovaisky,
• Liu Yan,
• Bing Yu and
• Alexander O. Terent’ev

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1192–1200, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.96

• efficiency, strong basic or acidic conditions, and excess of organohalides as starting materials. Recent years have witnessed the upsurge of free-radical oxidative phosphorylation transformations that became a reliable strategy for the construction of C–P bonds in organophosphorus chemistry [2][32][33][34

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

• this case, the mechanism appears to proceed through the formation of free radical species, where APS plays the role of oxidant and radical activator of DMSO, generating reactive radical species of DMSO or dimethyl sulfone that react with the nitrogen of saccharine compound 19 without the need for a

Red light excitation: illuminating photocatalysis in a new spectrum

• Lucas Fortier,
• Corentin Lefebvre and
• Norbert Hoffmann

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 296–326, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.22

• same team further proposed various infrared-mediated reactions catalyzed by 40 as presented in Figure 7. It has to be noted that other squaraine derivatives have also been explored as innovative photoinitiators and photosensitizers for initiating the free radical polymerization (FRP) of methacrylates

Synthesis of disulfides and 3-sulfenylchromones from sodium sulfinates catalyzed by TBAI

• Zhenlei Zhang,
• Ying Wang,
• Xingxing Pan,
• Manqi Zhang,
• Wei Zhao,
• Meng Li and
• Hao Zhang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 253–261, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.17

• whether the reaction proceeded through a free radical mechanism, different free radical inhibitors were added to the reaction (reaction 7, Scheme 5). The addition of TEMPO ((2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl) resulted in complete inhibition of the reaction, while BHT (2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol

• ) exhibited a lesser effect. Considering that TEMPO, as an oxidizing agent, affected the reaction, it could be concluded that the reaction did not proceed through a free radical mechanism. Based on the results of the control experiments and the related literature [26][30][41][52], a possible mechanism for the

Cyclodextrin-based rotaxanes for polymer materials: challenge on simultaneous realization of inexpensive production and defined structures

• Yosuke Akae

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 3026–3049, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.252

• units are easily modified by acylation, the hydrophilicity of the rotaxane crosslinker (RC) could be tuned in this manner. This [3]rotaxane crosslinker RC was added 0.5 mol % on the standard free radical polymerization of vinyl monomers to afford rotaxane-crosslinked polymer (RCP) (Figure 15B). Similar

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

• reaction mechanism was proposed as an anchored ionic type pathway, rather than the free radical one. First, the Togni reagent forms complex A with the dinuclear paddle-wheel copper nodes of Cu3(BTC)2. Complex A then adds to styrene 175 to form iodonium cation B, which is converted to intermediate D by

Transition-metal-free synthesis of arylboronates via thermal generation of aryl radicals from triarylbismuthines in air

• Yuki Yamamoto,
• Yuki Konakazawa,
• Kohsuke Fujiwara and
• Akiya Ogawa

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2577–2584, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.216

• obtained with almost complete consumption of 1a. The results clearly indicate that air can play an important role in the thermal activation of triarylbismuthines to generate aryl radicals. Furthermore, the yield of 3a was dramatically reduced in the presence of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl free

• radical (TEMPO) as a radical scavenger, strongly suggesting that a radical pathway is involved in the key step of the arylboronate synthesis (Scheme 4a). In addition, the reaction of triphenylbismuthine 1a (0.07 mmol) and TEMPO (0.4 mmol) under air resulted in the formation of 4 in 10% yield, which was

Synthesis, electrochemical properties, and antioxidant activity of sterically hindered catechols with 1,3,4-oxadiazole, 1,2,4-triazole, thiazole or pyridine fragments

• Daria A. Burmistrova,
• Andrey Galustyan,
• Nadezhda P. Pomortseva,
• Kristina D. Pashaeva,
• Maxim V. Arsenyev,
• Oleg P. Demidov,
• Mikhail A. Kiskin,
• Andrey I. Poddel’sky,
• Nadezhda T. Berberova and
• Ivan V. Smolyaninov

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2378–2391, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.202

• neuroprotective, antihypoxic effects, act as antiparkinsonian agents [3][4][5], exhibit antitumor and antibacterial activity [6][7][8], possess antioxidant properties for regulating free radical processes [9][10][11]. The functionalization of polyphenolic compounds by introducing various substituents or

Natural resorcylic lactones derived from alternariol

• Joachim Podlech

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2171–2207, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.187

• moderate DPPH free radical-scavenging activities (IC50: 18.7 µM) [232], exhibited COX-2 inhibitory activity (IC50: 9.5 µM) [242], and proved to be antiparasitic against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense and Leishmania donovani (IC50 values of 8.3 and 21.5 µM, respectively) [159]. Altenusin B (51), the methyl

Syntheses and medicinal chemistry of spiro heterocyclic steroids

• Laura L. Romero-Hernández,
• Ana Isabel Ahuja-Casarín,
• Penélope Merino-Montiel,
• Sara Montiel-Smith,
• José Luis Vega-Báez and
• Jesús Sandoval-Ramírez

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1713–1745, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.152

• yields (82–85%) (Scheme 28). The authors proposed a free radical mechanism facilitated by hydrogen peroxide, generating a primary radical at the terminal nitrogen atom -CO-HN• which then adds to the carbon atom of the imino group. The reaction mechanism was substantiated by theoretical calculations

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

• detailed metal-free radical C(sp3)–H fluorinations suitable for benzylic substrates. These typically involve the generation of a HAT reagent that is selective for benzylic C–H bonds and facilitates the generation of a benzylic radical. Subsequent FAT, from a fluorinating reagent, yields the desired benzyl

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

• by preventing overreduction [39]. While the metal-catalyst-free radical cyclization of alkene-tethered aryl halides has been well documented in the literature [40][41][42][43], the efficient intermolecular hydroarylation of alkenes still relies on the use of transition-metal catalysts, including Pd

A new analog of dihydroxybenzoic acid from Saccharopolyspora sp. KR21-0001

• Rattiya Janthanom,
• Yuta Kikuchi,
• Hiroki Kanto,
• Tomoyasu Hirose,
• Arisu Tahara,
• Takahiro Ishii,
• Arinthip Thamchaipenet and
• Yuki Inahashi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 497–503, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.44

• [16]. KR21-0001A (1) is a new analog of 2,3-DHBA connected to N-acetylcysteine (Figure 2b). 1 has a stronger antioxidant activity than trolox, which is a water-soluble analog of the free radical scavenger α-tocopherol [17][18]. 1 shows no antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi. Conclusion

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

• indicated that both the acylamino and quinoline N motifs played a significant role. On the other hand, the stoichiometric amount of free radical inhibitors, including TEMPO and BHT, could not comprehensively suppress the reaction. Based on these experimental results and previous works [30][31][32], a

Recent advancements in iodide/phosphine-mediated photoredox radical reactions

• Tinglan Liu,
• Yu Zhou,
• Junhong Tang and
• Chengming Wang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1785–1803, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.131

• , numerous remarkable breakthroughs and notable progresses have been achieved in the realm of photoredox catalysis [1][2][3]. This domain has profoundly transformed modern organic synthesis, resulting in a considerable surge in research efforts centered on free radical reactions [4]. Presently, photoredox

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

• glycoprotein (≈1–2%), laccase (≈0.2%), and stellacyanin (≈0.02%) [6][7]. Urushiol is the main active coating-forming ingredient of the resin. A typical urushiol is shown in Scheme 2. In a humid and warm environment, urushiol absorbs oxygen from air and is oxidized to a phenolic oxygen free radical under the

• an initiator molecule; M represents a monomer molecule; Pi represents a polymer chain with i repeating units; S represents a solvent molecule; and a dot indicates free radical species. These reactions are classified into four elementary steps: initiation, propagation, termination, and transfer. The

• negative free energy of polymerization and the latter an adequate reactivity of the monomer, stability of the derived free radical, and a low proportion of side reactions. A slow rate of chain initiation, a fast rate of chain propagation, and a rapid rate of chain termination are key features of

C–H bond functionalization: recent discoveries and future directions

• Indranil Chatterjee

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1568–1569, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.114

• well as famous Noble-prize-winning cross-couplings, therefore approaching another step up towards sustainability. Likewise, a free-radical process is also a classical way to functionalize nonactivated C−H bonds in which site selectivity arises either from the relative strength of the C−H bonds or from

Lewis acid-promoted direct synthesis of isoxazole derivatives

• Dengxu Qiu,
• Chenhui Jiang,
• Pan Gao and
• Yu Yuan

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1562–1567, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.113

• that the reaction is not a free radical reaction. Based on the control experiments and previous literature [21], we propose the following possible mechanism, which is shown in Scheme 5. Aluminum trichloride reacts with sodium nitrite to form an intermediate aluminum complex A, which is further

α-(Aminomethyl)acrylates as acceptors in radical–polar crossover 1,4-additions of dialkylzincs: insights into enolate formation and trapping

• Angel Palillero-Cisneros,
• Paola G. Gordillo-Guerra,
• Fernando García-Alvarez,
• Olivier Jackowski,
• Franck Ferreira,
• Fabrice Chemla,
• Joel L. Terán and
• Alejandro Perez-Luna

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1443–1451, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.103

• alkylidenemalonates [9][10][11]. These reactions follow a free-radical chain process wherein alkyl radicals (R•) add across the C–C double bond of the 1,4-acceptor, activated by complexation with the dialkylzinc, to deliver an enoxyl radical that undergoes homolytic substitution at zinc (SH2) to produce a zinc

• neither in the β-fragmentation (Scheme 4) nor in the addition across the carbonyl bonds. Overall, the mechanistic investigations support the scenario depicted in Scheme 9. Oxygen (in air) triggers a free-radical chain reaction between α-(aminomethyl)acrylates and dialkylzinc reagents that entails 1,4

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

• challenging-to-generate “uncontrollable” species prone to side reactions to versatile reactive intermediates enabling construction of myriad C–C and C–X bonds. This maturation of free radical chemistry has been enabled by several advances, including the proliferation of efficient radical generation methods