Beilstein Talk "Aromatic metamorphosis: Skeletal editing of aromatic rings"

Beilstein Talks

The Beilstein Talks are an established addition to the projects of the Beilstein-Institut supporting communication and information in science. These online talks are free to attend; a simple registration is all that is required.

Aromatic metamorphosis: Skeletal editing of aromatic rings

Hideki Yorimitsu / Kyoto University, Japan
June 11, 2026, 10–11 am CEST

Online live talk

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Introduction

Aromatic skeletons are generally resistant to cleavage due to their high stabilization energy and strong endocyclic bonds. While exocyclic functionalizations are well explored, endocyclic modifications via partial disassembly and ring reconstruction remain less studied. Here, I disclose our efforts to establish 'aromatic metamorphosis', a strategy that transforms common aromatic compounds such as thiophenes, benzofurans, and indoles into distinct ring systems through multi-step or ideally single-step processes. Aromatic metamorphosis, or what we may now call skeletal editing of an aromatic ring, challenges traditional frameworks in organic chemistry and provides new efficient or sustainable tools for synthesizing otherwise inaccessible heterocycles and generating chemical libraries with diverse endocyclic frameworks.