Direct synthesis of acyl fluorides from carboxylic acids using benzothiazolium reagents

• Lilian M. Maas,
• Alex Haswell,
• Rory Hughes and
• Matthew N. Hopkinson

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 921–930, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.82

• to acyl fluorides are inspiring greater interest in these compounds. Various synthetic approaches have been investigated with two main strategies being pursued: fluorine-transfer to acyl radicals and nucleophilic fluorination of acyl electrophiles [15]. The latter approach is the most intensively

(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

• -workers reported a method for the selective bridge bromination of BCPs, giving access to brominated 1,2-BCP (±)-16 (Scheme 2) [33]. By exploiting the homolytic cleavage of the C–Br bond using in situ-generated silyl radicals, they were then able to harness the installed bromide functionality in

• catalytic system of B2cat2 and 4-phenylpyridine to form pyridine-boryl radicals which initiated ring expansion. The method was shown to be similarly tolerable of functional groups as Procter’s synthesis. Intramolecular crossed [2 + 2] cycloadditions offer an alternative approach to 1,2-disubstituted BCHs

• was developed by Anderson and co-workers and was shown to be the more versatile than initiator-free activation. Both initiator-free and Et3B-initiated reactions only tolerated electrophilic radicals (to 134a and 134e), while photoredox catalysis also tolerated electron-rich radicals (to 134b). The

Ortho-ester-substituted diaryliodonium salts enabled regioselective arylocyclization of naphthols toward 3,4-benzocoumarins

• Ke Jiang,
• Cheng Pan,
• Limin Wang,
• Hao-Yang Wang and
• Jianwei Han

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 841–851, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.76

• , herein, we utilized a copper catalyst to activate the C–I bond of diaryliodonium salts in the generation of aryl radicals, thus resulting in an annulation reaction with naphthols and substituted phenols. This approach yielded a diverse array of 3,4-benzocoumarin derivatives bearing various substituents

Advancements in hydrochlorination of alkenes

• Daniel S. Müller

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 787–814, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.72

• carbenium ions are highly energetic species which tend to react unselectively according to the reactivity–selectivity principle. In contrast, MH HAT produces relatively stable radicals which is demonstrated by, e.g., the strong difference of heat of formation of the tert-butyl radical and cation (Figure 7B

• conclusion we wish to point out that this reaction provides a convenient procedure to achieve anti Markovnikov addition of alcohols to olefins which can presumably be extended to other systems. Furthermore, the addition of other nucleophiles to photochemically generated cation radicals would make this type

Research progress on the pharmacological activity, biosynthetic pathways, and biosynthesis of crocins

• Zhongwei Hua,
• Nan Liu and
• Xiaohui Yan

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 741–752, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.68

• also reported to inhibit cell invasion and metastasis [54][55]. Anti-inflammation and antioxidation Crocins exhibit anti-inflammation properties by scavenging free radicals and regulating the expression of antioxidant enzymes. Crocins can inhibit the NF-κB signaling pathway, thus downregulating the

SOMOphilic alkyne vs radical-polar crossover approaches: The full story of the azido-alkynylation of alkenes

• Julien Borrel and
• Jerome Waser

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 701–713, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.64

• , greatly increasing the molecular complexity of the starting substrate. Using radical chemistry would lead to a regioselective addition of azide radicals to the alkene, forming selectively the most stabilized C-centered radical. A prominent method for the generation of azide radicals relies on hypervalent

• would initially involve the addition of azide radicals to an alkene, generating a carbon-centered radical. Then, different trapping of this intermediate could be performed (Scheme 1B). First, C-centered radicals are known to recombine with metal-acetylides, in particular copper [27]. Reductive

• generate a large quantity of iodanyl radical from Ts-ABZ (3) homolysis and from the addition–elimination on Ph-EBX (2). Since no quencher is present in the mixture, we wondered if the accumulation of those radicals could be responsible for the low yields obtained. Addition of (TMS)3SiH, a H• donor

Green and sustainable approaches for the Friedel–Crafts reaction between aldehydes and indoles

• Periklis X. Kolagkis,
• Eirini M. Galathri and
• Christoforos G. Kokotos

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 379–426, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.36

Mechanisms for radical reactions initiating from N-hydroxyphthalimide esters

• Carlos R. Azpilcueta-Nicolas and
• Jean-Philip Lumb

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 346–378, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.35

• reaction classes, we discuss the utility of the NHPI esters, with an eye towards their continued development in complexity-generating transformations. Keywords: decarboxylative couplings; mechanisms; NHPI-esters; radical reactions; Introduction The historical challenges of using radicals in synthetic

• chemistry is well documented [1][2]. Traditional approaches for radical generation relied on hazardous reagents and harsh conditions, resulting in low reaction efficiency and undesired byproduct formation [3][4][5][6]. As a consequence, the utility of radicals in organic synthesis remained limited for many

• years and in the past, they were perceived as fleeting reaction intermediates. Recent progress in photoredox catalysis [6][7][8], electrochemistry [9][10], and the use of transition-metal (TM) catalysts in radical cross-coupling reactions [11] have dramatically expanded the use of radicals in synthesis

Nucleophilic functionalization of thianthrenium salts under basic conditions

• Xinting Fan,
• Duo Zhang,
• Xiangchuan Xiu,
• Bin Xu,
• Yu Yuan,
• Feng Chen and
• Pan Gao

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 257–263, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.26

• ][20]. On the other hand, sulfonium salts have emerged as appealing sources of aryl radicals for a wide range of transformations aimed at creating novel chemical bonds driven by their distinctive structural attributes and chemical tendencies (Scheme 1a) [9][21][22][23][24][25][26]. In addition to late

• generation of alkyl radicals [39]. After that, a series of methods for the modification of alkylthianthrenium salts have been developed, including the transition-metal-catalyzed cross-coupling with terminal alkynes [40], sulfonylation with DABCO·(SO2)2 [41][42][43], or alkylation of active alkenes [44][45

Visible-light-induced radical cascade cyclization: a catalyst-free synthetic approach to trifluoromethylated heterocycles

• Chuan Yang,
• Wei Shi,
• Jian Tian,
• Lin Guo,
• Yating Zhao and
• Wujiong Xia

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 118–124, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.12

• radicals. This method allows the efficient synthesis of various indole derivatives without the need of photocatalysts or transition-metal catalysts. Mechanism experiments indicate that the process involves a radical chain process initiated by the homolysis of Umemoto's reagent. This straightforward method

• to furnish trifluoromethylated dihyropyrido[1,2-a]indolones under mild conditions, without the need of photocatalysts or transition metals [28]. Results and Discussion We initialized our study by employing Ru(bpy)3Cl2·6H2O and Umemoto’s reagent to generate trifluoromethyl radicals via a photo

Photoinduced in situ generation of DNA-targeting ligands: DNA-binding and DNA-photodamaging properties of benzo[c]quinolizinium ions

• Julika Schlosser,
• Olga Fedorova,
• Yuri Fedorov and
• Heiko Ihmels

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 101–117, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.11

• , even under anaerobic conditions. Investigations of the mechanism of the DNA damage revealed the involvement of intermediate hydroxyl radicals and C-centered radicals. Under aerobic conditions, singlet oxygen only contributes to marginal extent to the DNA damage. Keywords: DNA intercalators

• species (ROS), such peroxyl, alkoxy and hydroxyl radicals, or carbon-centered radicals, which subsequently induce DNA strand cleavage. In the type-II mechanism, a triplet-excited photosensitizer reacts with molecular oxygen to give highly reactive singlet oxygen, 1O2, as reactive intermediate, which in

• ). To clarify whether the mechanism of the DNA photodamage proceeds through the formation of radicals, experiments with commmonly employed radical scavengers were conducted (Table 3, Supporting Information File 1, Figure S17). In the presence of hydroxyl-radical scavengers DMSO, t-BuOH, and 2-propanol

Long oligodeoxynucleotides: chemical synthesis, isolation via catching-by-polymerization, verification via sequencing, and gene expression demonstration

• Yipeng Yin,
• Reed Arneson,
• Alexander Apostle,
• Adikari M. D. N. Eriyagama,
• Komal Chillar,
• Emma Burke,
• Martina Jahfetson,
• Yinan Yuan and
• Shiyue Fang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1957–1965, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.146

• results further confirmed that ODN damage by radicals during CBP purification is unlikely. Another concern for long ODN synthesis is the perceived low quantity of product [29]. For example, for a 400 nt ODN synthesis, if the average stepwise yield is 99.0% as usually observed in trityl assay for the

Beyond n-dopants for organic semiconductors: use of bibenzo[d]imidazoles in UV-promoted dehalogenation reactions of organic halides

• Kan Tang,
• Megan R. Brown,
• Chad Risko,
• Melissa K. Gish,
• Garry Rumbles,
• Phuc H. Pham,
• Oana R. Luca,
• Stephen Barlow and
• Seth R. Marder

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1912–1922, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.142

• of alkyl halides, RX, by CoCp2 (Cp = η5-cyclopentadienyl; E = −1.3 V vs FeCp2+/0), gives CoCp2+ and X−, but the organic radicals R• react with another molecule of CoCp2 to afford CoCp(η4-C5H5R) [7]. In some cases, issues of reductant air sensitivity can be circumvented by the use of photocatalysts in

• [4][5], while other reducing species have been formed from in situ reactions of simple diols or diamines [13]. Another approach is to utilize dimers formed by highly reducing radicals, such the bibenzoimidazoles (Y-DMBI)2 (Figure 1c). (Me-DMBI)2 was first reported in 1984 and used as a reductant in

• many radicals [28][29][30][31]. The reaction is substantially accelerated by UV excitation at 365 nm; quantitative conversion of benzyl bromide at low initial concentration (3 mM) can be achieved within 1 h using both (N-DMBI)2 or (Cyc-DMBI)2 and UV (Table 1, entries 3 and 6), while even at higher

Controlling the reactivity of La@C₈₂ by reduction: reaction of the La@C₈₂ anion with alkyl halide with high regioselectivity

• Yutaka Maeda,
• Saeka Akita,
• Mitsuaki Suzuki,
• Michio Yamada,
• Takeshi Akasaka,
• Kaoru Kobayashi and
• Shigeru Nagase

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1858–1866, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.138

• reaction is believed to occur via electron transfer, followed by the radical coupling of La@C2v-C82 and benzyl radicals, rather than by bimolecular nucleophilic substitution reaction of La@C2v-C82 anion with 1. Keywords: electron transfer; metallofullerene; radical; reduction; Introduction Fullerenes

• more localized on the inside of the cluster for [Sc3N@Ih-C80]2−. A previous study reported that thermal treatment of La@C2v-C82 in the presence of 3-triphenylmethyl-5-oxazolidinone in toluene afforded four different benzylated La@C2v-C82 isomers [19]. Benzyl radicals may have been generated due to the

• radicals [10][11], which react even at room temperature. However, the one-electron reduction of La@C2v-C82 is effective for the activating its reactivity toward alkyl halides in the thermal reaction. Recently, Zhou et al. reported that the reaction of Gd@C2v-C82 with benzyl bromide requires a three

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

• radicals for alkenylation, was primarily facilitated by the electrostatic interaction between NaI and Katritzky salts 7. This innovative approach not only expanded the scope of photoredox cross-coupling reactions but also offered valuable insights into the role of NaI in facilitating these transformations

• ), specifically by extracting a hydrogen atom from the α-position of benzyl radicals A. The process described above led to the formation of the corresponding olefins 11, eliminating the need for a carbon–iodine bond formation step. Alkylation Diaziridines are highly versatile building blocks in synthesis, with

• route for the synthesis of unnatural amino acids and amines. Remarkably, the procedure exhibited excellent compatibility with a wide range of alkyl radicals, including primary, secondary, tertiary, and α-heterosubstituted radicals generated from corresponding redox-active esters 3. Concurrently, Shang

Benzoimidazolium-derived dimeric and hydride n-dopants for organic electron-transport materials: impact of substitution on structures, electrochemistry, and reactivity

• Swagat K. Mohapatra,
• Khaled Al Kurdi,
• Samik Jhulki,
• Georgii Bogdanov,
• John Bacsa,
• Maxwell Conte,
• Tatiana V. Timofeeva,
• Seth R. Marder and
• Stephen Barlow

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1651–1663, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.121

• . Their electrochemistry and reactivity were compared to those derived from 2-(4-(dimethylamino)phenyl)- (1b+) and 2-cyclohexylbenzo[d]imidazolium (1e+) salts. E(1+/1•) values for 2-aryl species are less reducing than for 2-alkyl analogues, i.e., the radicals are stabilized more by aryl groups than the

• cations, while 4,7-dimethoxy substitution leads to more reducing E(1+/1•) values, as well as cathodic shifts in E(12•+/12) and E(1H•+/1H) values. Both the use of 3,4-dimethoxy and 2-aryl substituents accelerates the reaction of the 1H species with PC61BM. Because 2-aryl groups stabilize radicals, 1b2 and

• [14][22][46], the bond length depends on orbital overlap and steric strain in the dimer, whereas dissociation energetics also depend on the stability of the monomeric odd-electron species, which vary considerably; in the case of 1• radicals an important factor is the ability of the Y substituent to

Tying a knot between crown ethers and porphyrins

• Maksym Matviyishyn and
• Bartosz Szyszko

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1630–1650, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.120

• single crystal XRD. Compound 43 formed stable cation radicals upon adding different oxidising agents, such as AgSbF6, TFA, and CuCl2. The cation radicals showed relative stability and remained undeteriorated on air for over a week. The crowned porphyrinoids incorporating two pyrroloindole units 44 were

• also synthesised (Scheme 11) [134]. The electrochemical studies demonstrated low oxidation potentials, and similarly to previously described systems incorporating a single pyrroloindole unit, compound 44 underwent single-electron oxidation forming stable cation radicals. Ravikanth and co-workers have

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

• used in post-polymerization modification, including chemical crosslinking of polymers and polymer surface modification. Radicals are powerful tools for post-polymerization processes because of their exceptional reactivity. In contrast to the previous sections, we set the topic of section 4 on the

• based on the radical polymerization of catechol derivatives. Catechols are known as easily oxidizable compounds and are prone to undergo oxidation by losing one or two electrons [3]. This way, either semiquinone radicals or o-quinones are formed by single or double-electron oxidation, respectively [4

• ]. The semiquinone radicals formed during the oxidation of catechol can undergo a cross-coupling reaction to form polymers (Scheme 1). One example is the radical polymerization of urushiol. The earliest recorded application of natural radical polymerization can be traced back to the manufacture of

Synthesis of 5-arylidenerhodanines in L-proline-based deep eutectic solvent

• Stéphanie Hesse

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1537–1544, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.110

• recycled for several runs [20]. As some benzylidenerhodanine derivatives were already reported for their antioxidant activities [3], we investigated those compounds for their antioxidant activity expressed as percentage of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) scavenging activity. DPPH free radicals

• solution of the corresponding synthesized compound (1.5 mL, 0.2 mM) was added to a DMSO solution of DPPH radicals (1.5 mL, 0.2 mM), so that the final concentration of DPPH radical and the synthesized compound in a solution was 0.1 mM. The mixture was shaken and allowed to stand at room temperature. After

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

• Scheme 31. Initially, homolytic cleavage of thiosulfonate 70 generated PhS· and PhSO2· radicals. The reduction of Ni(II) to Ni(0) in the presence of Cs2CO3 and the reaction with 68 formed alkynyl-Ni species I. Then, the PhS· radical reacted with I to generate alkenyl radical II, which can react with the

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

• radicals (Scheme 1, R1 = H) undergo readily homolytic substitution. By contrast, tertiary α-carbonyl radicals (Scheme 1, R1 ≠ H) are less prone, making additions to α-substituted 1,4-acceptors more challenging. Typically, ethyl methacrylate does not react with dialkylzinc reagents [12]. Notwithstanding

• , 1,4-additions of dialkylzinc reagents have been reported with dehydroamino ester derivatives [13][14] and α-bromoacrylates [15], which both involve an SH2 at zinc of tertiary α-alkoxycarbonyl radicals (Scheme 2, top). Here, the key to unlock the reactivity is the presence of a Lewis-basic substituent

Non-noble metal-catalyzed cross-dehydrogenation coupling (CDC) involving ether α-C(sp³)–H to construct C–C bonds

• Hui Yu and
• Feng Xu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1259–1288, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.94

• . Route b: the α-C(sp3)–H bonds are activated by a combination of transition metals and radical initiators to give the alkyl radicals, which are coupled with other radical receptors to afford the target product. Cu-catalyzed reactions Copper (common oxidation states are +I, +II and +III) has a

• oxidative alkylation of cyclic benzyl ethers with malonates or ketones. Oxygen is used as a terminal oxidant at atmospheric pressure. The key intermediate of this oxidative coupling reaction is benzyl alcohol intermediate C (Scheme 4) [52]. The generation of N–O radicals from NHPI in the presence of oxygen

• extract a hydrogen from the ether C (sp3)–H bond to form radicals. Subsequently, a single electron transfer (SET) leads to the oxonium species. Then, the enamine generated in situ from methyl aryl ketone and pyrrolidine undergoes a nucleophilic reaction with the oxonium species followed by hydrolysis to

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

• David T. Nemoto Jr Kang-Jie Bian Shih-Chieh Kao Julian G. West Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main St MS 602, Houston, TX 77005, USA 10.3762/bjoc.19.90 Abstract The place of alkyl radicals in organic chemistry has changed markedly over the last several decades, evolving from

• engagement of alkyl radicals remains challenging. Among these functionalization approaches, a bio-inspired mechanistic paradigm known as radical ligand transfer (RLT) has emerged as a particularly promising and versatile means of forming new bonds catalytically to alkyl radicals. This development has been

• ; photocatalysis; radicals; Introduction The behavior of alkyl radicals has been studied rigorously for decades, though only recently have these come to be widely viewed as selective and useful synthetic intermediates [1][2][3][4]. This sea change has been driven by innovations in both the generation and

Photoredox catalysis harvesting multiple photon or electrochemical energies

• Mattia Lepori,
• Simon Schmid and
• Joshua P. Barham

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1055–1145, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.81

• radicals that often provide access to new dimensions of synthetic chemical space, the field of single electron transfer (SET) in organic synthesis has expanded considerably in the past two decades. Among this area, photoredox catalysis (PRC) is highly attractive due to its abilities i) to generate reactive

• 2.1.1 C(sp2)–X activation: In the rise of visible light-mediated PRC, the generation of aryl radicals for C(sp2)–C(sp2/3) couplings under mild conditions (room temperature, visible light activation of a catalyst) was heavily investigated [34][35][36]. However, initially the procedures were generally

• formation which corroborates the involvement of free radicals. The authors argued against radical chain propagation on the basis of lack of reactivity in the dark during the light ON-OFF cycle experiments (we note that this does not rule out chain propagation with an efficient chain death). Investigations

Photoredox catalysis enabling decarboxylative radical cyclization of γ,γ-dimethylallyltryptophan (DMAT) derivatives: formal synthesis of 6,7-secoagroclavine

• Alessio Regni,
• Francesca Bartoccini and
• Giovanni Piersanti

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 918–927, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.70

• photocatalyst. Keywords: decarboxylative cyclization; DMAT; ergot alkaloids; photoredox catalysis; radicals; Introduction Visible-light photoredox catalysis is rapidly changing the way organic chemists approach the design and synthesis of molecules by offering new synthetic disconnection opportunities that

• their ability to participate in either redox step of the catalytic cycle [42][43][44][45]. For example, the main use of α-amino acids in syntheses via photoredox catalysis is as readily available precursors of regioselective α-amino radicals by decarboxylative transformations, by oxidation of the

• intramolecular decarboxylative cyclization with the formation of the 3,4-fused indole carbocycle rings (Figure 1b,c). In detail, the photocatalytic strategy for accessing the two C(sp3) radicals of DMAT derivatives envision the formation of a relatively stabilized allylic-benzylic carbon-centered radical by