Screwing the helical chirality through terminal peri-functionalization

• Devesh Chandra,
• Sachin and
• Upendra Sharma

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 205–212, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.14

• through a catalytic kinetic resolution (KR) process was developed by Liu and co-workers [32]. The authors screened a range of organocatalysts, i.e., Takemoto’s thiourea catalyst, (S,S)-1,2-cyclohexanediamine-derived thioureas, cinchona alkaloid-derived thiourea, and squaramides to achieve the desired

• enantioselectivity. Notably, [6]helicene 3k was also readily produced, via kinetic resolution (Scheme 1). Computational studies suggested that hydrogen bonding and π interactions between the reactants and catalyst L1 controlled the stereochemical output of the products 3. The catalyst proximate both reactants to

• helical chiral entities was reported by Wang and co-workers. They reported an organocatalyzed asymmetric synthesis of phosphorus-containing chiral helicenes enabled by dynamic kinetic resolution using copper and peptide-mimetic phosphonium salts, i.e. amino acid-derived phosphonium iodide and bromide as

Circumventing Mukaiyama oxidation: selective S–O bond formation via sulfenamide–alcohol coupling

• Guoling Huang,
• Huarui Zhu,
• Shuting Zhou,
• Wanlin Zheng,
• Fangpeng Liang,
• Zhibo Zhao,
• Yifei Chen and
• Xunbo Lu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 158–166, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.9

• previously disclosed a PIDA-mediated oxidative strategy for alcohol incorporation via activation of the S–NH bond (Scheme 1a) [14]. More recently, Wu and co-workers advanced the field by developing a dynamic kinetic resolution protocol for the enantioselective synthesis of sulfinimidate esters from racemic

• exceeds the theoretical maximum of 23% expected from the starting diastereomeric ratio, suggesting that the two diastereomers of 5 did not react at identical rates. These results are consistent with a partial kinetic resolution, wherein the major diastereomer of 5 reacts preferentially, leading to the

• reactivities of the two diastereomers. Although these findings strongly support the occurrence of a partial kinetic resolution, further kinetic measurements would be required for definitive confirmation. A plausible mechanism is outlined as follows. First, the sulfenamide 1 is oxidatively brominated by N

Total synthesis of natural products based on hydrogenation of aromatic rings

• Haoxiang Wu and
• Xiangbing Qi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 88–122, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.4

• hydrogenation reaction (Scheme 7) [60]. Using an acid-assisted dynamic kinetic resolution method, they obtained a series of chiral indolines 56 containing exocyclic stereocenters in high yields and excellent enantioselectivity. Mechanistic studies of the reaction revealed that the dynamic kinetic resolution

• the reaction include high functional group tolerance and excellent stereocontrol. In the same year, Zhou and co-workers reported a rhodium/bisphosphine-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation reaction of all-carbon aromatic rings 69 (Scheme 8) [64]. Through desymmetrization or kinetic resolution, a series

• atropisomers, which inspired a new strategy for achieving asymmetric hydrogenation. The authors proposed that the two atropisomers exhibit different reactivity and selectivity under catalytic conditions, enabling a process of kinetic resolution. More importantly, they envisioned that this inherent resolution

C2 to C6 biobased carbonyl platforms for fine chemistry

• Jingjing Jiang,
• Muhammad Noman Haider Tariq,
• Florence Popowycz,
• Yanlong Gu and
• Yves Queneau

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2103–2172, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.165

• 50% yield and 99% ee after kinetic resolution using Escherichia coli (Scheme 57) [189]. Other reactions: Yamamoto synthesized 6-hydroxy-2-(trifluoromethyl)-2H-pyran-3(6H)-ones from furfural via trifluoromethylation using the Ruppert–Prakash reagent (TMSCF3), followed by a photo-Achmatowicz reaction

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

• suppress potential intramolecular acyl migration. To further improve the optical purity of monoester 53, a Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipase-mediated kinetic resolution was performed with ethoxyvinyl butyrate 54, ultimately achieving monoester 53 with 97% ee in 60% yield and the diester 53a. With

• -worker described the asymmetric synthesis of (−)-rasfonin, harnessing an enantioselective enzymatic desymmetrization with lipase AK and an enzymatic oxidative kinetic resolution to install stereocenters [47]. The synthesis commenced with the preparation of fragment 100 from ethylene glycol (97) (Scheme

• functional group manipulations, alcohol 103 was subjected to enzymatic oxidative kinetic resolution with the bacterium Gluconobacter oxydans, producing alcohol 104 and acid 105. The alcohol 104 with the desired C9 stereocenter was then converted into fragment 106 in nine steps, while acid 105 was recycled to

Chiral phosphoric acid-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis of helically chiral, planarly chiral and inherently chiral molecules

• Wei Liu and
• Xiaoyu Yang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1864–1889, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.145

• without the CPA catalyst. Notably, indolohelicenoid 23e could effectively be converted into the fully aromatic indolohelicene 24e under DDQ-mediated oxidative conditions without compromising the enantiopurity of the compound. Kinetic resolution stands as one of the most practical and efficient strategies

• ]. While CPAs have been extensively utilized in kinetic resolution of centrally chiral [26][27][28] and axially chiral compounds [29], their application in the kinetic resolution of helically chiral compounds remains largely unexplored. In 2024, Liu and co-workers developed an effective method for

• catalytic kinetic resolution of racemic helical polycyclic phenols through an organocatalyzed enantioselective dearomative amination reaction [30]. The racemic polycyclic phenol derivatives 25, which exist as single diastereomers featuring both central chirality and helical chirality, were readily prepared

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

• unsymmetrical diisocyanide was used, the initial isocyanide insertion was found to be non-regioselective, delivering a 1:1 mixture of regioisomers (17c and 17c’). Intriguingly, 17a could act as a chiral acylating reagent, applying in the kinetic resolution of racemic primary amines rac-18. Additionally, after

• reaction between alkene 43 and 2,2′-dienone 44. The corresponding spirooxindole 45 was obtained in >19:1 dr, 63% yield, and 89% ee. Dynamic kinetic resolution of configurationally labile bridged biaryls The catalytic asymmetric dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of configurationally labile bridged biaryls

• Groebke–Blackburn–Bienaymé reaction. Construction of axially chiral 3-arylpyrroles via de novo pyrrole formation. Synthesis of atropoisomeric 3-arylpyrroles via central-to-axial chirality transfer. Dynamic kinetic resolution of bridged biaryls with α-acidic isocyanides. Desymmetrization of prochiral

Synthetic approach to borrelidin fragments: focus on key intermediates

• Yudhi Dwi Kurniawan,
• Zetryana Puteri Tachrim,
• Teni Ernawati,
• Faris Hermawan,
• Ima Nurasiyah and
• Muhammad Alfin Sulmantara

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1135–1160, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.91

• allyl ester (R)-120 via enzymatic kinetic resolution of readily available rac-118 using Novozyme 435 and vinyl acetate in pentane at 30 °C (Scheme 19). The reaction was halted at the conversion of 54%, yielding the remaining alcohol (S)-118 with >99% ee. The product (R)-119 was subsequently treated with

A convergent synthetic approach to the tetracyclic core framework of khayanolide-type limonoids

• Zhiyang Zhang,
• Jialei Hu,
• Hanfeng Ding,
• Li Zhang and
• Peirong Rao

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 926–934, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.75

• , Hangzhou 310018, Zhejiang, China 10.3762/bjoc.21.75 Abstract A convergent approach for the enantioselective construction of an advanced intermediate containing the [5,5,6,6]-tetracyclic core framework of the khayanolide-type limonoids was described. The strategy features an acylative kinetic resolution of

• promoted by LiHMDS gave alcohol 17 with high regioselectivity (14:1 dr at C17) after an extensive screening of bases (LDA, NaHMDS, KHMDS, etc.). Drawing inspiration from the pioneering work of Birman [38], as well as Newhouse’s applications [18][19], an acylative kinetic resolution of the alcohol was

• ]). Conclusion In conclusion, we have developed a convergent approach for the enantioselective assembly of an advanced intermediate en route to krishnolides A and C. Key steps of our strategy entail an acylative kinetic resolution of the alcohol, a 1,2-Grignard addition and an AcOH-interrupted Nazarov

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

• in the absence of a Brønsted acid additive, the opposite enantiomer 52 was obtained. Mechanistically, an initial kinetic resolution (KR) of (rac)-50 occurs via an Ir-catalyzed asymmetric allylic amination. Due to the higher reactivity of (S)-50, it reacts with 6-hydroxyisoquinoline within 6 minutes

Organocatalytic kinetic resolution of 1,5-dicarbonyl compounds through a retro-Michael reaction

• James Guevara-Pulido,
• Fernando González-Pérez,
• José M. Andrés and
• Rafael Pedrosa

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 473–482, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.34

• , Universidad de Valladolid, Paseo Belén 7, 47011-Valladolid, Spain 10.3762/bjoc.21.34 Abstract The pharmaceutical chemical industry has long used kinetic resolution to obtain high-value compounds. Organocatalysis has recently been added to this strategy, allowing for the resolution of racemic mixtures with

• low catalyst loadings and mild reaction conditions. This research focuses on the kinetic resolution of 1,5-dicarbonyl compounds using a retro-Michael reaction, co-catalyzed at room temperature with 20 mol % of the Jørgensen–Hayashi catalyst and PNBA. The study highlights the importance of conducting

• the kinetic resolution at a concentration of approximately ten millimolar (mM) to prevent the Michael retro-Michael equilibrium from affecting the process. Keywords: 1,5-dicarbonyl; equilibrium; kinetic resolution; organocatalysis; retro-Michael; Introduction For many years, enantiomers have been

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

• enantioselectivity. First, the reaction of ketimine ester 33 and 2,3-dimethylhydroquinone at 10 °C provided the chiral 1,4-addition product 35 via dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation (DyKAT). Conversely, when the reaction was performed at −10 °C, the reaction pathway switched from DyKAT to kinetic resolution

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

• enantioselectivities in similar desymmetrization reactions [39][40][41][42]. The dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of racemic 2-arylbenzaldehydes 62 with α-bromoenals 63 led to axially chiral products 64 [43]. Triazolium salt C20 as an NHC pre-catalyst was the most efficient for achieving high yields and enantiomeric

• enantioselectivities. Compound 66d was incorporated into a thiourea organocatalyst framework and successfully tested in kinetic resolution with 73% enantioselectivity. The chiral phosphoric acid (CPA) (R)-C22 was used to catalyze the formation of a C–N chiral axis in the axially chiral product 68 from biarylamines 67

• 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

Enantioselective regiospecific addition of propargyltrichlorosilane to aldehydes catalyzed by biisoquinoline N,N’-dioxide

• Noble Brako,
• Sreerag Moorkkannur Narayanan,
• Amber Burns,
• Layla Auter,
• Valentino Cesiliano,
• Rajeev Prabhakar and
• Norito Takenaka

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 3069–3076, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.255

• propargyltrichlorosilane [35][36] (Scheme 2). Other notable asymmetric catalytic approaches to prepare α-allenic alcohols (R2 = H) include the Corey–Bakshi–Shibata reduction of allenyl ketones [37], enzymatic [38][39][40], non-enzymatic [41] kinetic resolution of racemic α-allenic alcohols, and asymmetric 1,4

4,6-Diaryl-5,5-difluoro-1,3-dioxanes as chiral dopants for liquid crystal compositions

• Maurice Médebielle,
• Peer Kirsch,
• Jérémy Merad,
• Carolina von Essen,
• Clemens Kühn and
• Andreas Ruhl

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2940–2945, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.246

• still remain elusive and are not well understood [29]. Recently we have become interested in the preparation of racemic [30] anti- and highly enantioenriched 2,2-difluoro-1,3-diols [30][31][32] through an acylative double catalytic kinetic resolution (DoCKR) process [33]. While the 1,3-diol motif is

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

• for the resolution of chiral amines [28]. However, it was not until 2004 that they were recognised as efficient chiral Brønsted acid organocatalysts for asymmetric Mannich reactions [29]. Malkov and co-workers revealed [30] that (R)-TRIP can act as a very efficient catalyst for the kinetic resolution

• -substituted aldimines. This was later addressed by the same researchers [15], who developed an organocatalytic kinetic resolution of secondary boronates to furnish bench-stable homochiral (S)-35. The latter were then employed in the asymmetric allylation of in situ-formed primary aldimines 37, leading

• (R)-VANOL ligand 115 was attained by column chromatography in 92%. In 2015, further development of the 2-aza-Cope rearrangement strategy was reported by Johnson [43]. This work expanded the scope of the reaction to β-formyl amides 119 under the conditions of dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) by

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

• enantioselectivities of a kinetic resolution of benzyl alcohols and an enantiodivergent fluorination of allylic alcohols, observing good correlations for both reactions. Since then, the proposed NCI descriptors have been successfully applied to multiple different reactions, such as an allenoate Claisen rearrangement

Chiral phosphoric acid-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of 3,3-difluoro-3H-indoles

• Yumei Wang,
• Guangzhu Wang,
• Yanping Zhu and
• Kaiwu Dong

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 205–211, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.20

• great attention in organic synthesis. Various methods [9], including reductive hydrogenation [10][11], kinetic resolution [12][13][14], functionalization of indole [15], and de novo construction of chiral 2-substituted indolines, have been developed [16][17][18][19][20]. In recent years, the metal

A new oxidatively stable ligand for the chiral functionalization of amino acids in Ni(II)–Schiff base complexes

• Alena V. Dmitrieva,
• Oleg A. Levitskiy,
• Yuri K. Grishin and
• Tatiana V. Magdesieva

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 566–574, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.41

• chirality which exhibits no racemization under action of strong bases [29]. The chiral N–H-containing rimantadine-based ligand (L6) is highly lipophilic and it was successfully used for the kinetic resolution of unprotected racemic amino acids [30]. The examples mentioned above show that the metal–Schiff

Catalytic aza-Nazarov cyclization reactions to access α-methylene-γ-lactam heterocycles

• Bilge Banu Yagci,
• Selin Ezgi Donmez,
• Onur Şahin and
• Yunus Emre Türkmen

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 66–77, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.6

• acetal group could be used as substrates in an aza-Nazarov cyclization with the intermediacy of in situ-generated N-acyliminium ions (Scheme 1b) [21]. The first catalytic aza-Nazarov reaction was reported by Tius and co-workers in 2010, which involved the kinetic resolution of azirine derivatives via an

Redox-active molecules as organocatalysts for selective oxidative transformations – an unperceived organocatalysis field

• Elena R. Lopat’eva,
• Igor B. Krylov,
• Dmitry A. Lapshin and
• Alexander O. Terent’ev

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 1672–1695, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.179

• kinetic resolution of racemic alcohols [99] and for the oxidation of benzylic cyclic ethers to lactones [100] was demonstrated. The CuI/9-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane N-oxyl (ABNO) catalytic system successfully promotes the oxidative coupling of alcohols with primary amines [101] (Scheme 13). The reaction

Mechanochemical synthesis of unsymmetrical salens for the preparation of Co–salen complexes and their evaluation as catalysts for the synthesis of α-aryloxy alcohols via asymmetric phenolic kinetic resolution of terminal epoxides

• Shengli Zuo,
• Shuxiang Zheng,
• Jianjun Liu and
• Ang Zuo

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 1416–1423, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.147

• the unsymmetrical salens with zinc, copper, and cobalt was studied and the chiral Co–salen complex 2f was obtained in 98% yield. Hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR) of epichlorohydrin with water catalyzed by complex 2f (0.5 mol %) was explored and resulted in 98% ee, suggesting complex 2f could serve

• with regard to conformational differences, for instance, oligosalen [14], macrocyclic oligosalen [15], and polymeric salen [16]. Jacobsen and co-workers reported the first synthesis of α-aryloxy alcohols through the phenolic kinetic resolution (KR) of terminal epoxides using a Co–salen catalyst [17

• were explored as well. Furthermore, we present the hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR) of epichlorohydrin with water using Co–salen complexes 2, and α-aryloxy alcohols were synthesized by the 2f catalytic system through the asymmetric ring opening of epichlorohydrin and phenols. Results and Discussion

Enantioselective total synthesis of putative dihydrorosefuran, a monoterpene with an unique 2,5-dihydrofuran structure

• Irene Torres-García,
• Josefa L. López-Martínez,
• Rocío López-Domene,
• Manuel Muñoz-Dorado,
• Ignacio Rodríguez-García and
• Miriam Álvarez-Corral

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 1264–1269, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.132

• stereoselective kinetic resolution of allenol 3 via lipase AK-catalyzed acetylation [15]. In this way, unaltered, (−)-hydroxyallene 3 could be separated from (+)-acetyl derivative 9 through standard column chromatography (Scheme 3). Enantiomeric excesses of (−)-3 and (+)-9 were determined by chiral HPLC analyses

The asymmetric Henry reaction as synthetic tool for the preparation of the drugs linezolid and rivaroxaban

• Martin Vrbický,
• Karel Macek,
• Jaroslav Pochobradský,
• Jan Svoboda,
• Miloš Sedlák and
• Pavel Drabina

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 438–445, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.46

• material were practically the same as the one of the starting material in all cases. Further, the separation via kinetic resolution in the final reaction step was also examined. The course of the re-esterification was stopped at a conversion of ca 50% and the de values were determined. Unfortunately, no

New advances in asymmetric organocatalysis

• Radovan Šebesta

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 240–242, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.28

• Waser employed an isothiourea catalyst for esterification-mediated kinetic resolution of paracyclophane derivatives with planar chirality [19]. Parida and Pan showed that a Michael reaction coupled with an acyl transfer reaction between α-nitroketones and 4-arylidenepyrrolidine-2,3-diones can produce a