Recent advances in the cleavage of non-activated amides

• Eun-Sol Choi and
• Hyo-Jun Lee

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 352–369, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.23

• , bioactive molecules, and advanced materials. However, its exceptional resonance stabilization renders the C–N bond highly inert, posing a persistent synthetic challenge for its transformation. While twisted amides with distorted C–N bonds have offered useful reactivity enhancements, the selective activation

• catalysis, electrophilic activation, strong base-counter-cation systems, and N-based activating groups that enable chemoselective bond cleavage. Together, these developments provide powerful tools for amide functionalization and offer new opportunities for efficient, practical, and selective syntheses

• valuable features, amide derivatives are ubiquitous across the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, dye, polymer, and renewable-energy industries [6][7][8][9][10][11]. Accordingly, the development of efficient methods for both amide-bond formation and the selective transformation of amide functionalities remains

Ring contraction and ring expansion reactions in terpenoid biosynthesis and their application to total synthesis

• Nicolas Kratena,
• Nicolas Heinzig and
• Peter Gärtner

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 289–343, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.21

• provide the essential carbocation stabilisation (likely via cation–π interactions) and thus facilitate alkyl migration. The resulting 5,7-bicyclic carbocation 14b is further elaborated and decorated by selective oxidation reactions to build up the family of pseudolaric acids. For example, after a second

• enables selective C-4 to C-14 ketone aldolisation furnishing pepluanol D (87). The same authors also proposed a putative biosynthetic origin for the intriguing 5/4/7/3-ring system of pepluacetal (89) from pepluanol A (88) by olefin isomerisation (88a to 88b) and 1,6-conjugate addition to build up the new

• way of selective oxidation at C-17 (possibly through HAT and SET-induced generation of the positive charge as described in other examples above) the C-17-centred carbocation 114a can undergo a cascade rearrangement, consisting of an initial 1,2-methyl migration to 114b, followed by the crucial 1,2

Arene activation via π-bond localization: concepts and opportunities

• Paul Meiners,
• Julian J. Melder and
• Tobias Morack

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 257–273, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.19

• transformations for the synthesis of complex, three-dimensional molecular architectures with tailored physicochemical properties. Despite notable advances in dearomative methodologies over the past decades, the selective and controlled disruption of the aromatic core continues to represent a fundamental challenge

• into a general, efficient synthetic strategy that enables an entirely new retrosynthetic logic, and (2) to enable previously inaccessible mechanistic pathways for selective arene functionalization. With this review, we aim to assess the current landscape of synthetically applied systems that achieve

• following sections therefore focus on the selective disruption of aromaticity through the formation of transition metal–arene π-complexes. Transient and reversible coordination of transition metals to aromatic π-systems is a key feature of many catalytic transformations, with the oxidative addition of

A mild and atom-efficient four-component cascade strategy for the construction of biologically relevant 4-hydroxyquinolin-2(1H)-one derivatives

• Dmitrii A. Grishin,
• Kseniia I. Sharkovskaia,
• Ilya G. Kolmakov,
• Daria A. Ipatova,
• Rostislav A. Petrov,
• Nikolai D. Dagaev,
• Dmitry A. Skvortsov,
• Maria G. Khrenova,
• Valeriy V. Andreychev,
• Sergei A. Evteev,
• Yan A. Ivanenkov,
• Roman L. Antipin,
• Olga А. Dontsova and
• Elena K. Beloglazkina

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 244–256, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.18

• and selective synthesis of previously inaccessible 4-hydroxyquinolin-2(1H)-one derivatives. Utilizing readily available 6-halo-4-hydroxyquinolinones, aromatic aldehydes, Meldrum’s acid, and alcohols under ʟ-proline catalysis, the reaction proceeds via in situ formation of arylidene-substituted Meldrum

• alcoholysis under prolonged reflux. This insight resolves a long-standing selectivity issue and transforms a known cascade into a synthetically divergent, operationally simple one-pot process. The selective access to methyl and ethyl esters is synthetically valuable, serving as versatile intermediates for

Configuration–packing synergy enabling integrated crystalline-state RTP and amorphous-state TADF

• Ruiyan Wang and
• Yunan Wu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 224–236, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.16

• facilitating thermally activated reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) and enabling TADF. Therefore, a molecular platform based on imide is expected to achieve programmable triplet management through a “configuration-decoupling + packing/confinement synergy” strategy. This platform can enable the selective

Base-promoted deacylation of 2-acetyl-2,5-dihydrothiophenes and their oxygen-mediated hydroxylation

• Vladimir G. Ilkin,
• Margarita Likhacheva,
• Igor V. Trushkov,
• Tetyana V. Beryozkina,
• Vera S. Berseneva,
• Vladimir T. Abaev,
• Wim Dehaen and
• Vasiliy A. Bakulev

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 192–204, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.13

• yield (21%, Table 1, entry 2). When acid (HCl) was added after quenching the residue with water, the yields of products 2a and 3a were increased (30 and 35%, Table 1, entry 3). The selective formation of 2-hydroxy-2,5-dihydrothiophene 2a in 41% yield was achieved when using 5 equiv of sodium and 0.25 mL

• TFE the deacylated product 2a was formed in 75% yield (Table 1, entry 12). Carrying out the reaction under Hockings conditions [26] resulted in the selective formation of the deacylated product 3a (Table 1, entry 13). Thus, the optimized conditions for the synthesis of 2-hydroxy-substituted 2,5

• selective formation of the deacylated products in 60–70% yield. In continuation of the research, isomeric dihydrothiophenes (Scheme 1, E) were also treated in ethanolic solution with sodium ethoxide. Initially, cyclohexano-spiroannulated dihydrothiophene 4a was treated with ethanolic solution (3 mL) in the

Streptoquinolines A and B, new antibacterial meroterpenoids produced by Streptomyces sp. TMPU-A0679

• Akiho Yagi,
• Hitomi Tomura,
• Ami Konno and
• Ryuji Uchida

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 185–191, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.12

• sesquiterpene fused with a highly substituted quinoline moiety. Further structural comparisons and specific rotation data revealed that 1 and 2 were epimers at C-4'. Compounds 1 and 2 both exhibited selective antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, including VRE and methicillin-resistant

• -type sesquiterpene fused with a highly substituted quinoline unit. These compounds were isolated from terrestrial Streptomyces sp. TMPU-A0679 and both exhibited selective antibacterial activity against Gram-positive pathogens, including VRE and MRSA. Structural and stereochemical analyses established

Improved synthesis and physicochemical characterization of the selective serotonin 2A receptor agonist 25CN-NBOH

• Adrian G. Rossebø,
• Hannah G. Kolberg,
• Anders E. Tønder,
• Louise Kjaerulff,
• Poul Erik Hansen,
• Karla A. Frydenvang,
• Jesper Østergaard and
• Jesper L. Kristensen

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 175–184, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.11

• Copenhagen, Denmark Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark 10.3762/bjoc.22.11 Abstract 25CN-NBOH is a selective serotonin 2A receptor agonist used extensively as a tool compound in preclinical research. Herein, we perform an in-depth

• efficacy [2]. Activation of the 5-HT2AR is thought to induce altered states of consciousness and suppress the default-mode network, a process hypothesized to underlie their clinical benefits [3]. However, classic psychedelics lack receptor selectivity, prompting efforts to develop more selective 5-HT2AR

• agonists to study the effects of solely activating this key receptor [4]. 25CN-NBOH (1) was reported in 2014 as part of a series of ligands in the search for selective 5-HT2AR agonists [5]. Subsequently, it has been used and characterized extensively as a tool for investigations into the effects of

A new synthesis of Tyrian purple (6,6’-dibromoindigo) and its corresponding sulfonate salts

• Holly Helmers,
• Mark Horton,
• Julie Concepcion,
• Jeffrey Bjorklund and
• Nicholas C. Boaz

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 167–174, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.10

• similar analogues, using 3 as a key intermediate. Furthermore, we were interested in producing a water-soluble derivative of 1, much like indigo carmine was developed as a water-soluble derivative of indigo. Several syntheses of 3 have been reported, but the most common method involves the selective

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

• /bjoc.22.9 Abstract A selective and efficient method for the synthesis of sulfinimidate esters via an NBS-promoted oxidative coupling of sulfenamides with alcohols has been developed. This operationally simple, metal-free protocol uses inexpensive and readily available reagents, operates under mild

• versatile intermediates for enantioselective S–C bond formation under mild and metal-free conditions. Keywords: asymmetric synthesis; late-stage functionalization; selective oxidation; sulfenamides; sulfinimidate esters; Introduction Sulfur is a privileged heteroatom in organic chemistry, celebrated for

• conditions, the selective S–O bond formation has been largely overlooked, rendering the direct synthesis of sulfinimidate esters from alcohols a nontrivial and underdeveloped transformation. Results and Discussion To validate our hypothesis and identify optimal conditions for sulfilimidate ester formation

Asymmetric Mannich reaction of aromatic imines with malonates in the presence of multifunctional catalysts

• Kadri Kriis,
• Harry Martõnov,
• Annette Miller,
• Mia Peterson,
• Ivar Järving and
• Tõnis Kanger

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 151–157, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.8

• conversion of the starting imine within 3 hours at rt and in 5 hours at −20 °C. Decrease of the temperature increases the enantiomeric purity of the product (from 27% ee up to 52% ee) (Table 1, entries 1–3). The corresponding H-analogue of catalyst A was less selective (18% ee) (Table 1, entries 4 and 5

• ). This suggests that possibly the halogen bond plays a role in the emergence of the stereoselectivity of the reaction. The reaction with the similar quinidine derivative with reduced double bond (catalyst B) was slower and less selective affording the opposite enantiomer in low enantiomeric purity (14

• % ee, Table 1, entry 6). Aminoindane-based catalysts C and D were inefficient and stereomeric purity of the products were not determined (Table 1, entries 7 and 8). The next group of catalysts consists of amino acid derivatives. The most selective was tert-leucine-based catalyst E affording the Mannich

Symmetrical D–π–A–π–D indanone dyes: a new design for nonlinear optics and cyanide detection

• Ergin Keleş,
• Alberto Barsella,
• Nurgül Seferoğlu,
• Zeynel Seferoğlu and
• Burcu Aydıner

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 131–142, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.6

• 10.3762/bjoc.22.6 Abstract Three indan-2-one-based donor–π–acceptor–π–donor type dyes with symmetric donor groups were synthesized and characterized to study their nonlinear optical (NLO) properties and their potential use in the rapid and selective determination of cyanide. The designed structures

• using the EFISH method, where μβ values were found between 300 × 10−48 esu and 1740 × 10−48 esu and the highest value observed was with 2b. Dyes also showed chemosensor properties for the selective detection of cyanide with colorimetric and optical responses in both organic and aqueous media. The

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

• limitation requires the design of catalysts that achieve precise electronic complementarity, enabling selective activation across a broad spectrum of aromatic compounds (Scheme 2) [32]. From the standpoint of scalable synthesis, catalyst cost is a major bottleneck in aromatic hydrogenation. Most state-of-the

• center and complicate catalysis. Consequently, designing cost-effective catalytic systems with enhanced efficiency, particularly for the selective hydrogenation of complex substrates, remains an essential direction for future research [33]. Hydrogenation of arenes has rapidly evolved from a specialized

• heterocycle part: Quinoline, one of the most accessible heteroaromatic feedstocks from natural and commercial sources, has long attracted interest in both synthetic and medicinal chemistry. A central challenge, however, is the selective catalytic hydrogenation of quinolines to the synthetically valuable

Advances in Zr-mediated radical transformations and applications to total synthesis

• Hiroshige Ogawa and
• Hugh Nakamura

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 71–87, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.3

• iodide 10n failed to give the desired products. In substrate 10o containing both iodide and bromide, selective activation of the alkyl iodide was observed, affording the coupled product in 96% yield. Furthermore, the reaction proceeded smoothly in the presence of alcohols 10p–q and carboxylic acid 10r

• range of α-fluorocarbonyl substrates and olefins (Scheme 9B). In 2025, Ota and Yamaguchi et al. reported a zirconocene-mediated selective cleavage of C–O bonds (Scheme 10A) [35]. The authors had previously demonstrated regioselective ring-opening reactions of epoxides and oxetanes by exploiting the

Reactivity umpolung of the cycloheptatriene core in hexa(methoxycarbonyl)cycloheptatriene

• Dmitry N. Platonov,
• Alexander Yu. Belyy,
• Rinat F. Salikov,
• Kirill S. Erokhin and
• Yury V. Tomilov

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 64–70, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.2

• unavailability of other stable cycloheptatrienyl anions until recently, its derivatives were not expected to show high selectivity in reactions. Herein, we present the first examples of selective reactions of low-symmetry hexa(methoxycarbonyl)cycloheptatrienyl anion 2 [20] towards electrophiles. Additionally

• reported [31] halogenations of anion 1 only afforded the corresponding octasubstituted cycloheptatriene derivatives. The reactions of 2 with alkyl halides were selective in terms of the initial reaction – the i-substitution was never observed. However, the alkylation reactions were even more intricate than

Synthesis and applications of alkenyl chlorides (vinyl chlorides): a review

• Daniel S. Müller

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 1–63, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.1

• demonstrated that aromatic alkynes can undergo hydrochlorination with good selectivity for the mono-addition when a nitromethane/acetic acid solvent mixture is employed (Scheme 27) [96]. In contrast, selective monohydrochlorination is commonly observed for alkynes bearing coordinating substituents such as

• two decades, considerable efforts have been devoted to the selective monohydrochlorination of alkynes, particularly through the use of transition-metal catalysis. Comprehensive reviews by Lu [40] and Nishiwaki [41] have extensively covered these advances. We also want to briefly mention the work on

• electrophiles A wide range of alkenylmetal species has been employed for the synthesis of alkenyl chlorides via reaction with chlorine electrophiles (Scheme 29). In a study from 1978, Zweifel demonstrated that 1,1-silyl(aluminum)alkenyl intermediates (e.g., 167) undergo highly selective chlorination at the

One-pot synthesis of ethylmaltol from maltol

• Immanuel Plangger,
• Marcel Jenny,
• Gregor Plangger and
• Thomas Magauer

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2755–2760, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.212

• via methylation of a dianionic intermediate, proved unsuitable due to competing overalkylation and the necessity of sub-zero temperatures. In contrast, a transient protecting group approach enabled selective methylation under mild conditions. This culminated in a scalable, operationally simple one-pot

• ), selective methylation of maltol (2) would represent the most direct access to ethylmaltol (1). Herein, we disclose an operationally simple, one-pot methylation procedure to access ethylmaltol (1) from maltol (2, Scheme 1c). Results and Discussion Inspired by the selective γ-alkylation of dianions of β-keto

• esters [25], we initially envisioned the formation of dianion I from maltol (2), which should undergo selective C-methylation with methyl iodide to furnish ethylmaltol (1) (Table 1). Typical deprotonation conditions employed for β-keto esters, i.e., sequential treatment of maltol (2) with equimolar

Sustainable electrochemical synthesis of aliphatic nitro-NNO-azoxy compounds employing ammonium dinitramide and their in vitro evaluation as potential nitric oxide donors and fungicides

• Alexander S. Budnikov,
• Nikita E. Leonov,
• Michael S. Klenov,
• Andrey A. Kulikov,
• Igor B. Krylov,
• Timofey A. Kudryashev,
• Aleksandr M. Churakov,
• Alexander O. Terent’ev and
• Vladimir A. Tartakovsky

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2739–2754, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.211

• applications in organic synthesis as precursors for free radicals in selective transformations [5][6][7][8][9][10][11] and polymerization initiators [12], energetic materials [13][14][15], NO donors [16][17], and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) [18]. Despite the wide diversity of their applications

• , structures, and redox properties, effective synthetic strategies for the construction of N–N and N–O systems remain markedly underdeveloped. Unlike traditional methods for constructing C–C and C–Het bonds, the number of methods for selective N–N [1][5][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] and N–O [30

• and N–O bond formation. However, it also represents a highly efficient and valuable strategy due to the synthetic availability of starting materials. Therefore, the development of new methods for direct selective N–N and N–O coupling remains an important goal in synthetic chemistry. To date

Recent advancements in the synthesis of Veratrum alkaloids

• Morwenna Mögel,
• David Berger and
• Philipp Heretsch

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2657–2693, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.206

• butenolide moiety, selective α-methylation, formation of a lactam, reduction of the former to an amine, and installation of two different protecting groups. Aryl bromide 53 (fragment B) was then ready for coupling. Lithium–halogen exchange in fragment B 53 and subsequent 1,2-addition to fragment A 47

• of ring D and spirocyclization were to be executed. The next three steps included a Birch reduction, selective hydrogenation with PtO2, and protecting group installation to give 56 with the double bond at C13–C17, which was crucial for the following spirocyclization. This double bond was epoxidized

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of the cardenolide rhodexin A and its aglycone sarmentogenin

• Fuzhen Song,
• Mengmeng Zheng,
• Dongkai Wang,
• Xudong Qu and
• Qianghui Zhou

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2637–2644, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.204

• hand, we first tried the synthesis of rhodexin A through direct glycosylation of 2 by the ʟ-rhamnose donor 2,3,4-tri-O-benzoyl-α-ʟ-rhamnopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate (14). However, the selective glycosylation at the C3-hydroxy group of 2 was a formidable challenge since competitive glycosylations of

Silica gel with covalently attached bambusuril macrocycle for dicyanoaurate sorption from water

• Michaela Šusterová and
• Vladimír Šindelář

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2604–2611, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.201

• report a new material, SG-NHCO-BU1, in which the BU1 macrocycle is covalently grafted onto the surface of silica gel. We demonstrate that this hybrid material can be used for the selective dicyanoaurate(I) sorption from water. Moreover, it is shown that unlike SG-BnBU, SG-NHCO-BU1 exhibits good stability

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

• cycloalkanone scaffolds with potential applications in pharmaceutical and materials sciences (Scheme 12) [62]. Sumida, Ohmiya, and co-workers recently developed an NHC-and organic photoredox-catalyzed meta-selective Friedel–Crafts type acylation of electron-rich aromatic compounds 31. The described catalytic

• catalyst. The anticipated meta-acylation product 32 was achieved through highly selective C(sp3)–C(sp3)-radical–radical cross-coupling between the cyclohexadienyl radical C and the benzyl radical species F, formed via single-electron reduction. This photochemical method overturns the traditional ortho and

• /photoredox catalyzed borylacylation of alkenes. NHC-catalyzed oxidative functionalization of cinnamaldehyde. NHC/photocatalyzed oxidative Smiles rearrangement. NHC-catalyzed synthesis of cyclohexanones through photocatalyzed annulation. Dual organocatalyzed meta-selective acylation of electron-rich arenes

Recent advances in total synthesis of illisimonin A

• Juan Huang and
• Ming Yang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2571–2583, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.199

• , which was subsequently subjected to a one-pot desilylation to afford 24. Reduction of both the ester and ketone functionalities in 24, followed by selective protection of the primary alcohol and re-oxidation of the secondary alcohol to ketone, furnished compound 25 in three steps. The ketone in 25 was

• % yield (63% brsm) or 50% yield after four cycles with recovery of starting material. Selective epoxidation of the isopropenyl group with m-CPBA delivered cyclization precursor 45 as an inseparable mixture of diastereomers (dr = 1:2.1). A Cp2TiCl-mediated cyclization of 45 constructed the tricyclo

• rearrangement only under Lewis acidic conditions to furnish 47. Selective TES deprotection with HF afforded Rychnovsky’s intermediate 29. (−)-Illisimonin A was obtained in 13% yield over the same 4-step sequence as reported by Rychnovsky’s group. An alternative 4-step endgame starting from 47 was also developed

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

• ryanodine (1) from ryanodol (4) – had long eluded chemists. The primary challenge involved the selective installation of the bulky pyrrole unit onto the sterically congested C3 secondary hydroxy group within a polyfunctionalized, polyhydroxylated framework. In 2016, building upon prior work, the Inoue group

• introduction of diverse substituents at the C2 position and precise modulation of oxidation states at other sites, including C3. The synthesis of 3-epi-ryanodol (5) commenced with compound 44. After the protection of the C10 secondary hydroxy group, a sterically controlled, face-selective reduction of the C3

• of (+)-ryanodol (4) in just 15 steps, highlighting the Pauson–Khand cyclization and a selenium dioxide-mediated selective oxidation as key transformations [48] (Scheme 7). To construct the multi-substituted five-membered ring in the target molecule, the authors strategically employed the Pauson–Khand

Ni-promoted reductive cyclization cascade enables a total synthesis of (+)-aglacin B

• Si-Chen Yao,
• Jing-Si Cao,
• Jian Xiao,
• Ya-Wen Wang and
• Yu Peng

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2548–2552, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.197

• followed by reaction with CH(OMe)3 afforded acetal 17, which was then subjected to a CH2Cl2 solution of TMSOTf and iPr2NEt. A mixture of enol methyl ethers 18 were thus produced by an elimination reaction. Eventually, a site-selective bromination of the double bond over the electron-rich benzene rings with