Visible-light-driven NHC and organophotoredox dual catalysis for the synthesis of carbonyl compounds

• Vasudevan Dhayalan

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2584–2603, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.200

• organic chemistry, and particularly in the late-stage functionalization of bioactive compounds, drugs, and natural products. This review highlights recent advances in NHC–organophotoredox dual catalysis, focusing on methodology development, mechanistic insights, and reaction scope for synthesizing

• –H bond functionalization of important structural motifs with good to excellent diastereoselectivities, high yields, and late-stage functionalization of drugs and complex natural products. The visible-light-promoted dual catalytic method opens new avenues in direct C–H bond acylation and complements

• existing metal-catalyzed C–H bond functionalization methods (Scheme 3) [53]. Recently, Scheidt et al. discovered an NHC/organic photoredox-catalyzed three-component coupling reaction for the efficient and novel preparation of γ-aryloxy ketone scaffolds 12. This transformation builds on the emerging field

Total syntheses of highly oxidative Ryania diterpenoids facilitated by innovations in synthetic strategies

• Zhi-Qi Cao,
• Jin-Bao Qiao and
• Yu-Ming Zhao

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2553–2570, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.198

• to “climbing a staircase” – where each successive step involves functional group interconversions and protecting group manipulations, culminating in low overall efficiency. In contrast, Baran’s “two-phase” synthesis strategy emulates nature’s “cyclization–functionalization” logic [53][54]. This

• approach is akin to “taking an elevator”, prioritizing the rapid assembly of the molecular core skeleton before undertaking precise late-stage functionalization. This strategy has proven highly successful for synthesizing complex terpenoids, as exemplified by the Baran group’s 2013 total synthesis of

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

• functionality strategy employing oxazoline to unmask the 1,2-hydroxyamine moiety proves feasible, eliminating the need for alkene functionalization required in previous endeavours. This current strategy provides a reliable platform for accessing diverse uracil nucleosides and their derivatives, facilitating the

• 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

• 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 and characterization of a isothiouronium-calix[4]arene derivative: self-assembly and anticancer activity

• Giuseppe Granata,
• Loredana Ferreri,
• Claudia Giovanna Leotta,
• Giovanni Mario Pitari and
• Grazia Maria Letizia Consoli

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2535–2541, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.195

• sciences [13][14][15][16][17]. Their synthetic versatility, ease of functionalization, conformational rigidity or flexibility, steric bulk, and low cost make them highly attractive in the development of novel, non-conventional anticancer agents with a great potential for overcoming the toxicity of cancer

• functionalization of the calix[4]arene skeleton blocked in cone conformation, as evidenced by the AX system (3.13 and 4.26 ppm) for the bridged CH2 protons. Spontaneous self-assembly Due to the amphiphilic nature, compound 3 could spontaneously self-assemble in aqueous medium. This was confirmed by dynamic light

Palladium-catalyzed regioselective C1-selective nitration of carbazoles

• Vikash Kumar,
• Jyothis Dharaniyedath,
• Aiswarya T P,
• Sk Ariyan,
• Chitrothu Venkatesh and
• Parthasarathy Gandeepan

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2479–2488, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.190

• are ubiquitous and privileged heterocyclic scaffolds in various functional organic materials and naturally occurring products. Although extensive efforts have focused on developing synthetic strategies toward carbazole derivatives, direct regioselective functionalization of the carbazole core remains

• valuable platform for the selective functionalization of carbazoles, offering potential applications in optoelectronics, functional organic materials, and related areas while contributing to the advancement of C–H activation methodologies. Keywords: C–H activation; carbazole; catalysis; nitration

• ) functionalization of the carbazole core. Traditional approaches for constructing diversified carbazoles and derivatives are Fischer–Borsche synthesis [15][16], Graebe–Ullmann synthesis [17][18], cyclization of biaryl nitrenes–Cadogan synthesis [19], electrocyclic reactions [20][21], and others [22][23][24]. These

Catalytic enantioselective synthesis of selenium-containing atropisomers via C–Se bond formations

• Qi-Sen Gao,
• Zheng-Wei Wei and
• Zhi-Min Chen

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2447–2455, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.186

• functionalization remains a significant challenge. In 2024, You and co-workers reported a breakthrough in the enantioselective direct C–H selenylation of 1-arylisoquinolines and 2-(phenylselenyl)isoindoline-1,3-diones under rhodium catalysis to afford axially chiral diaryl selenides [18]. In this protocol, AgPF6

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

• bulky stoppers at both ends to prevent dethreading (Figure 1) [1][8]. Functionalization of the axle with recognition sites allows the macrocycle to shuttle between positions in response to external stimuli, including light, redox, temperature, pH, and reactions with chemicals such as carbodiimides [9

Comparative analysis of complanadine A total syntheses

• Reem Al-Ahmad and
• Mingji Dai

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2334–2344, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.178

• strategies and creative tactics, reflecting how emerging synthetic capabilities and concepts can positively impact natural product total synthesis. Keywords: biomimetic synthesis; C–H functionalization; complanadine; lycopodium alkaloid; skeletal editing; total synthesis; transition metal catalysis

Recent advances in Norrish–Yang cyclization and dicarbonyl photoredox reactions for natural product synthesis

• Peng-Xi Luo,
• Jin-Xuan Yang,
• Shao-Min Fu and
• Bo Liu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2315–2333, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.177

• -hydroxy-β-lactams or 2-hydroxycyclobutanones can function either as inherent structural motifs in target natural products or as strained reactive intermediates, facilitating C–H functionalization via four-membered ring opening [6][7][8][9][10][11]. Quinones display distinct photochemical reactivities

• congested structures in complex bicyclic systems. 2 Alkaloids 2.1 Lycoplatyrine A In 2020, Sarpong's group disclosed their progress toward a robust and broadly applicable strategy for the C–H functionalization of piperidines and related saturated N-heterocycles. This approach involves lactamization via

• reactivity modes and expand the structural diversity of accessible natural product scaffolds. Additionally, the highly reactive strained four-membered rings generated from these reactions present exciting opportunities for further functionalization. Studying their downstream transformations – particularly

Halogenated butyrolactones from the biomass-derived synthon levoglucosenone

• Johannes Puschnig,
• Martyn Jevric and
• Ben W. Greatrex

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2297–2301, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.175

• . Short procedures for their synthesis have been developed starting with levoglucosenone, which can be obtained in a single step from the pyrolysis of acid-treated cellulose. The processes use inexpensive reagents for the stereoselective C3 functionalization of the bicyclic ring system, with a subsequent

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

• enantioselectivities. A radical chaperone methodology is based on a multicatalytic system in which a chiral Cu(I) catalyst, Brønsted acid (camphoric acid) and Ir photocatalyst work synergistically. An asymmetric synthetic method based on radical C–H functionalization was reported by Nagib and co-workers for the

• aldolase, a photoredox catalyst, and an oxidizing agent. With this catalytic system, they were able to accomplish the C–H functionalization of glycine and α-branched amino acids, obtaining α-tri- and tetrasubstituted amino acids with moderate to good yields, good diastereoselectivity, and high

• functionalization of the terminal carbon atom of the silyl polyenolate. In the reaction of silyl tetraenol ether 47, selective reaction at the η position occurred, and the product 48 was obtained in 78% yield and 96% ee. Conclusion This perspective highlights important contributions in the area of enantioselective

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

• synthetic intermediates, and used to successfully modify diverse bioactive scaffolds via late-stage functionalization, collectively demonstrating the method’s synthetic utility. In 2025, the Das group developed a palladium-catalyzed cycloisomerization of 2-alkynylbenzoate-cyclohexadienone that enables

• toward bicyclo[4.3.0]nonane frameworks via geminal carbo-functionalization of 3-siloxy-1,3-dien-7-ynes (Scheme 21) [32]. A stereoselective sequence initiated by 5-exo-dig cyclization and Michael addition under cationic gold catalysis to generate strained bicyclic gold-carbene complex 101, which was

Pd-catalyzed dehydrogenative arylation of arylhydrazines to access non-symmetric azobenzenes, including tetra-ortho derivatives

• Loris Geminiani,
• Kathrin Junge,
• Matthias Beller and
• Jean-François Soulé

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2234–2242, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.170

• nitro (3j, 35%), as well as electron-donating groups such as methoxy (3d, 77%), dimethylamino (3k 55%) , and thiomethoxy (3l, 71%). Moreover, the reaction tolerated C–F (3f, 86%) and C–Cl (3g, 66%) bonds, enabling orthogonal functionalization. It should be noted that, as a general trend – and in

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

• synthesis of cyclic compounds have emerged. The electrochemical functionalization of alkynes was highlighted by Ahmed in 2019 [109], Zhang described radical annulation of 1,n-enynes under photo/electrochemical reaction conditions in 2023 [110], the electrochemical formation of heterocycles was summarized by

The application of desymmetric enantioselective reduction of cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds in the total synthesis of terpenoid and alkaloid natural products

• Dong-Xing Tan and
• Fu-She Han

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2085–2102, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.164

• decyanation [75] and double bond migration of 95 produced common intermediate 96, which was elaborated to ketone 97 [69] via four functional group manipulations, thereby achieving the formal total synthesis of (−)-conidiogenone B (17). On the other hand, functionalization and derivatization were performed on

Discovery of cytotoxic indolo[1,2-c]quinazoline derivatives through scaffold-based design

• Daniil V. Khabarov,
• Valeria A. Litvinova,
• Lyubov G. Dezhenkova,
• Dmitry N. Kaluzhny,
• Alexander S. Tikhomirov and
• Andrey E. Shchekotikhin

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2062–2071, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.161

• methodologies from traditional acylation/carbamoylation [9] to advanced Pd- or Rh-catalyzed C–H activation [10][11], FeIII–CuII/p-TSA–CuI catalyzed ring expansion/cyclization [12], electrochemical C–H/N–H functionalization [13], RhIII-catalyzed C–H amidation [14], etc. In contrast to chemical studies, a

• reports that focused on natural alkaloids or limited antimicrobial studies, this study expands the pharmacological scope by demonstrating selective antiproliferative effects and identifying promising SAR trends. The originality of the research lies in linking strategic scaffold functionalization

• )-one scaffold 1 was synthesized according to the optimized protocol developed by Bergman et al. [9]. Position 12 of indolo[1,2-c]quinazolin-6(5H)-one (1) (Scheme 1) corresponded to of the indole C3 position, which is typically used as a nucleophilic center for functionalization via reactions with

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

• reported. A bioinspired approach represents many advantages to bring benefits to total synthesis. It could rapidly achieve complexity of the target molecule from a much simpler precursor in diverse forms of transformations such as cascade reaction, cycloaddition, and C–H functionalization, thereby, shorten

• functionalities in a complex framework are formidable challenges for mankind since such transformations in nature are precisely induced by enzymes. Bioinspired functionalization of C–H bond in total synthesis is rarely developed and it represents another challenge, despite numerous methodologies have been

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

• functionalization of one hydroxy group, offers beneficial procedures for accessing diverse structural motifs. In this review, we highlight a curated compilation of publications, focusing on the applications of enantioselective desymmetrization of prochiral 1,3-diols in the synthesis of natural products and

• enantioselective manner) can be utilized for a series of transformations, including functionalization, chain elongation, ring formation, etc. Therefore, the enantioselective desymmetrization of diols has drawn considerable interest among synthetic chemists. Several comprehensive reviews [14][15][16][17][18] on the

Systematic pore lipophilization to enhance the efficiency of an amine-based MOF catalyst in the solvent-free Knoevenagel reaction

• Pricilla Matseketsa,
• Margret Kumbirayi Ruwimbo Pagare and
• Tendai Gadzikwa

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1854–1863, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.144

• groups. This selective functionalization yielded MOFs in which the catalytically active amines are confined within highly lipophilic pores, reminiscent of many enzyme active sites. We determined that systematically increasing the lipophilicity of the pores results in a commensurate increase of catalyst

• at the hydroxy. To prevent excessive reaction at the amine, both reactions were stopped at 2 hours. Aside from 1H NMR, the independent functionalization of KSU-1 with isocyanates was also confirmed by conducting electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI–MS) on samples of the MOF products

• ). Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) confirmed that crystallinity was preserved even after complete functionalization of DPG (Figure S8, Supporting Information File 1). To test the catalytic behavior of our amine-based lipophilic MOF catalysts, we chose the Knoevenagel condensation between benzaldehyde and

Fe-catalyzed efficient synthesis of 2,4- and 4-substituted quinolines via C(sp²)–C(sp²) bond scission of styrenes

• Prafull A. Jagtap,
• Manish M. Petkar,
• Vaishnavi R. Sawant and
• Bhalchandra M. Bhanage

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1799–1807, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.142

• production of approximately 30 million tons annually [40]. Their low cost and widespread availability make them highly valuable as fundamental building blocks in organic synthesis. Over the past few decades, the direct functionalization of styrenes has emerged as a prominent research area due to its

Research progress on calixarene/pillararene-based controlled drug release systems

• Liu-Huan Yi,
• Jian Qin,
• Si-Ran Lu,
• Liu-Pan Yang,
• Li-Li Wang and
• Huan Yao

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1757–1785, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.139

• solubility of drugs. The modified CAs encapsulate drug molecules within the host through host–guest interactions. The interactions between the drug and the calixarene enhance the solubility of the drug [60]. Further functionalization of these CAs' upper and lower rims with diverse moieties (e.g., amides

• cyclodextrins in terms of controllable functionalization [61]. In clinical applications, particularly for anticancer drug conjugation, CAs demonstrate remarkable cancer cell selectivity, minimized off-target effects, enhanced delivery efficiency, and reduced systemic toxicity. Additionally, their synthetic

3,3'-Linked BINOL macrocycles: optimized synthesis of crown ethers featuring one or two BINOL units

• Somayyeh Kheirjou,
• Jan Riebe,
• Maike Thiele,
• Christoph Wölper and
• Jochen Niemeyer

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1719–1729, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.134

• ) [41][42][43] have been used for attaching the crown ether macrocycle, although this strategy has the advantage that the 2,2'-hydroxy groups remain intact and can be used for further binding or functionalization. Our group recently became interested in synthesizing BINOL derivatives featuring

Azide–alkyne cycloaddition (click) reaction in biomass-derived solvent Cyrene^TM under one-pot conditions

• Zoltán Medgyesi and
• László T. Mika

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1544–1551, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.117

• –carbon double bond in a certain molecular structure could allow for efficient subsequent functionalization via, for example, an addition reaction, opening possibilities for building even more complex molecular skeletons involving 1,2,3-triazole units. Using allyl bromide in the reaction sequence results

Highly distinguishable isomeric states of a tripodal arylazopyrazole derivative on graphite through electron/hole-induced switching at ambient conditions

• Himani Malik,
• Sudha Devi,
• Debapriya Gupta,
• Ankit Kumar Gaur,
• Sugumar Venkataramani and
• Thiruvancheril G. Gopakumar

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1496–1507, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.112

• be attributed to the electronically decoupled individual photoswitchable units by 1,3,5-functionalization and attainment of non-planar geometry [30]. Molecular switches with multiple switching units having extended lifetime for their non-equilibrium states will be a unique tool for fabricating multi

Recent advances in amidyl radical-mediated photocatalytic direct intermolecular hydrogen atom transfer

• Hao-Sen Wang,
• Lin Li,
• Xin Chen,
• Jian-Li Wu,
• Kai Sun,
• Xiao-Lan Chen,
• Ling-Bo Qu and
• Bing Yu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1306–1323, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.100

• of amidyl radicals as HAT reagents, with a particular emphasis on their role in the intermolecular HAT process. We highlight key developments, mechanistic insights, and emerging strategies that harness the unique reactivity of amidyl radicals in the selective functionalization of a variety of

• substrates. Keywords: amidyl radicals; C–H; HAT reagents; hydrogen-atom-transfer; late-stage functionalization; Introduction C–H bonds are the predominant chemical bonds in organic compounds, and their direct conversion can rapidly and efficiently increase the complexity and functionality of organic

• molecules. On the other hand, C–H bonds exhibit low reactivity due to their relatively high bond dissociation energy (BDE) (Figure 1a). Therefore, the direct functionalization of C–H bonds is extremely challenging [1][2][3][4][5]. In recent decades, transition-metal-catalyzed C–H bond functionalization