{"title":"Electrochemical Alkene Radical Cation-Enabled 1,2-Aryl Migration of Allylic Alcohols: Synthesis of α-Quaternary Ketones","authors":"Peng Chen,Xiao-Qing Xie,Jiang Bai,Ruchun Yang,Lin Lu,Xian-Rong Song,Mu-Jia Luo,Qiang Xiao","doi":"10.1039/d6qo01142j","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6qo01142j","url":null,"abstract":"The 1,2-migration of allylic alcohols has emerged as a powerful and atom-economical strategy for constructing synthetically challenging α-quaternary carbonyl compounds through controlled molecular reorganization. Herein, we develop an efficient electrochemical platform that harnesses anodically generated alkene radical cation to trigger selective 1,2-aryl migration, thereby enabling 1,2-difunctionalization of allylic alcohols with various nucleophiles, including ROH, Et3N·3HF, and HOAc. Distinct from conventional radical addition-initiated pathways, this metal-catalyst- and chemical-oxidant-free protocol offers a mechanistically novel means for allylic alcohol rearrangement to access structurally diverse α-quaternary ketones, featuring a broad substrate scope. Mechanistic studies reveal that the transformation is initiated by anodic single-electron oxidation of allylic alcohols to the key alkene radical cations.","PeriodicalId":97,"journal":{"name":"Organic Chemistry Frontiers","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148964453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Margherita Miele,Eisuke I. Comas Iwasita,Andrea D'Annibale,Andrés R. Alcántara,Laura Castoldi,Vittorio Pace
{"title":"Eschenmoser's salts: from design to applications in organic synthesis","authors":"Margherita Miele,Eisuke I. Comas Iwasita,Andrea D'Annibale,Andrés R. Alcántara,Laura Castoldi,Vittorio Pace","doi":"10.1039/d6qo00713a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6qo00713a","url":null,"abstract":"For over half a century, Eschenmoser's salt and related analogues have been widely exploited in organic synthesis, enabling the aminomethylation and α-methylenation of a broad range of substrates. Owing to their tunable structure and counterions, these salts exhibit remarkable versatility in homologation, C–C bond forming reactions, C–H functionalization, and in the synthesis of heterocycles, natural products, and biologically active compounds. This review highlights the structural modifications, reactivity, and applications of Eschenmoser-type iminium salts, emphasizing their continuing impact and adaptability in modern synthetic methodology.","PeriodicalId":97,"journal":{"name":"Organic Chemistry Frontiers","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148964454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alan Yannic Rolf Werling,Yun Yang,Christopher Raymond Jones
{"title":"One-pot divergent synthesis of 5-arylmethyl oxazoles and polyacenes from propargylic amides and arynes","authors":"Alan Yannic Rolf Werling,Yun Yang,Christopher Raymond Jones","doi":"10.1039/d6qo01223j","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6qo01223j","url":null,"abstract":"We report a sequential one-pot gold-catalyzed cyclization/aryne cycloaddition strategy that affords structurally diverse 5-arylmethyl oxazoles and substituted polyacenes from simple propargylic amides. Arynes are shown to engage the oxazoline products from gold catalysis via an ene reaction, with the resulting oxazoles trapping excess aryne in a cascade cycloaddition process to furnish epoxyacenes. Telescoping a subsequent deoxygenation reaction provides direct access to a range of polyaromatic hydrocarbon frameworks via a one-pot, three-stage transformation. This protocol is simple to perform, operates under mild reaction conditions and affords high levels of product selectivity through straightforward control of aryne stoichiometry.","PeriodicalId":97,"journal":{"name":"Organic Chemistry Frontiers","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148957882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Visible-light-promoted Multicomponent Reaction of Amines, Carbon disulfide and Benzodithiol-3-ones","authors":"Shanhong Yang,Huizhi Hu,Baitao Zhou,Xiaobing Liu,Yao Zhou,Shengzhou Jin,Guodong Yin","doi":"10.1039/d6qo01080f","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6qo01080f","url":null,"abstract":"The first visible-light-promoted skeletal reorganization of benzodithiol-3-ones is disclose herein, enabling the facile construction of diverse array of 2-thioxo-benzo[e][1,3]thiazin-4ones under mild conditions in decent yields. This organophosphine-triggered multicomponent reaction proceeds via a S to C-N exchange strategy, which features as transition-metal or photocatalyst free, operational simplicity, excellent functional group compatibility and suitability for late-stage functionalization.2","PeriodicalId":97,"journal":{"name":"Organic Chemistry Frontiers","volume":"76 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148957885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Electron-Donor-Switched Divergent Synthesis of Biaryl Amides and Phenanthridin-6(5H)-ones from 2-Iodobenzanilides","authors":"Kun-Quan Chen,You-Qin Liu,Qiang Liu,You-Feng Han,Xiang-Yu Chen","doi":"10.1039/d6qo01095d","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6qo01095d","url":null,"abstract":"Divergent synthesis from ortho-halogenated benzanilides provides rapid access to structurally distinct scaffolds, yet selectivity control under mild, catalyst-free conditions remains challenging. Herein, we report a charge transfer complex enabled divergent transformation of 2-iodobenzanilides, in which a simple switch of the electron donor dictates the product outcome: TMEDA delivers biaryl amides through ipso-spirocyclization and C-N bond cleavage, whereas tBuOK affords phenanthridin-6(5H)-ones via orthoaddition and oxidative rearomatization.Biaryls and biaryl-fused heterocyclic scaffolds are ubiquitous structural motifs in pharmaceuticals, natural products, and functional materials (Figure 1A). 1 The broad utility of these frameworks has stimulated sustained interest in the development of efficient and selective methods for their construction. 2 Among the various approaches reported to date, radical reactions of ortho-halogenated benzanilides have emerged as a particularly versatile platform, as the same class of precursors can, in principle, deliver both scaffolds through divergent cyclization modes of the aryl radical intermediate. 3 Historically, intramolecular ortho-addition has been exploited extensively for the synthesis of phenanthridinones, and a wide array of transition-metal-catalyzed and radical protocols have been established along this line. 4 In contrast, ipso-additionwhich would lead, upon amide migration or fragmentation, to unfused biaryl products-is generally disfavored and has proven considerably more challenging to realize. 5 An advance in this direction was reported by Butterworth and Greaney, who demonstrated that amide substrates bearing a blocking","PeriodicalId":97,"journal":{"name":"Organic Chemistry Frontiers","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148957884","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jimei Zhou,Xiaoxu Wang,Ning Ma,Jiangping Cao,Juanjuan Wei,Sam de Visser,Jianliang Xiao,Chaoqun Li
{"title":"Manganese-Catalyzed C–O Bond Scission Triggered by C–H Oxidation in 1-Arylisochromans","authors":"Jimei Zhou,Xiaoxu Wang,Ning Ma,Jiangping Cao,Juanjuan Wei,Sam de Visser,Jianliang Xiao,Chaoqun Li","doi":"10.1039/d6qo00999a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6qo00999a","url":null,"abstract":"Oxidation of 1-arylisochromans is a promising route to create high-value chemicals, yet traditional methods rely on toxic oxidants (e.g., CrO₃/H₂SO₄), which limit their practical use. Herein, we report an environmentally benign approach using H2O2 as the oxidant and a manganese catalyst bearing a bipiperidine-based tetradentate ligand. The system enables facile C–O bond scission triggered by C–H oxidation of 1-arylisochromans to afford diverse 2-(2-hydroxyethyl)benzophenone derivatives in high yields. The protocol features a broad substrate compatibility, encompassing 1-arylisochromans, 1-arylphthalans, and isochromans, thus offering a low-cost, eco-friendly, and practical route for cleaving the C−O bond of 1-arylisochromans to access valuable ketone derivatives, which serve as important pharmaceutical intermediates.","PeriodicalId":97,"journal":{"name":"Organic Chemistry Frontiers","volume":"51 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148915251","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Isolable, Highly Strained Silabicyclic Bridgehead Alkenes","authors":"Desheng Chen,Huayu Liang,Cheng Xu,Zhuofeng Ke,Yaofeng Chen","doi":"10.1039/d6qo01165a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6qo01165a","url":null,"abstract":"Bredt's rule has long defined the limits of bridgehead alkenes, and the synthesis of highly strained members of this class remains a formidable challenge. Herein, we report the synthesis, structure, and reactivity of a series of siliconcontaining bridgehead alkenes-silabicyclo[3.1.0]alk-5-enes and silabicyclo[4.1.0]alk-6-enes-which are highly strained yet stable and isolable. The title compounds are prepared via a salt-elimination strategy from a potassium silylene precursor and ω-bromoalkynes (RCCCH2(CH2)nCH2Br) (n = 1, 2). This process involves naphthalene dissociation to generate the key silylene intermediate, followed by its intramolecular cyclization with the alkyne group. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction and DFT calculations reveal pronounced pyramidalization and twisting of the C=C bond. Despite this severe distortion, these compounds are thermally robust due to π→σ* stabilization between the C=C bond and adjacent Si-C σ* orbitals. Silabicyclo[3.1.0]alk-5-ene displays versatile reactivity, undergoing ring-opening reactions with a wide range of E-H bonds (E = O, N, S, Si, etc.) and ringexpansion reactions with unsaturated compounds such as isocyanides, pyridazine, CO₂, and diphenylcyclopropenone under mild conditions, providing facile access to diverse organosilicon frameworks. Furthermore, the mechanism of the CO₂ insertion reaction was elucidated by DFT calculations, revealing a concerted asynchronous pathway with an energy barrier of 24.1 kcal/mol.","PeriodicalId":97,"journal":{"name":"Organic Chemistry Frontiers","volume":"145 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148915250","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mechanistic insights into solvent-controlled chemodivergent Rhcatalyzed C-H functionalization of N-methoxybenzamide","authors":"Yang Wang,Yan-Kun Cui,Lujun Zhang","doi":"10.1039/d6qo00917d","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6qo00917d","url":null,"abstract":"Solvent-mediated chemoselectivity control offers a straightforward and powerful strategy for accessing structurally diverse products from identical starting materials in transition-metal-catalyzed C-H functionalization reactions. However, the mechanistic basis for solvent-switchable chemodivergent reactions remains largely unclear. Herein, we report a comprehensive computational investigation that elucidates the reaction mechanism, origin of stereoselectivity, and the fundamental driving force behind solvent-regulated chemoselectivity. Our calculations reveal that a low-polarity solvent ( i PrCN) favors the formation of (Z)-monofluoroalkenyl isoindolinone, whereas a highly polar solvent (MeOH) leads to the alkynyl isoindolinone product. In MeOH, kinetically favorable inner-oriented fluoride elimination triggers a second β-F extrusion to release the alkynyl isoindolinone. By contrast, outer-oriented fluoride elimination dominates in i PrCN, followed by protonolysis to furnish the monofluoroalkenyl product. The alkyne insertion step determines both the rateand stereoselectivity, preferentially generating the R-configured isomer as the major product. Steric buried volume (%VBur) and activation strain model (ASM) analyses collectively confirm that severe steric congestion and elevated distortion energy destabilize the minor stereoisomeric transition state. Electrostatic potential surface analysis further reveals the origin of solvent-controlled chemoselectivity: highly polar MeOH stabilizes charge-separated, high-dipole zwitterionic transition states leading to alkynyl product, whereas low-polarity i PrCN destabilizes such ionic transition states, rendering the low-dipole pathway leading to monofluoroalkenyl isoindolinone kinetically advantageous. This work establishes a quantitative mechanistic framework for solvent-tunable chemodivergent asymmetric C-H activation and provides rational guidelines for designing solvent-switchable synthetic routes to diverse molecules.2","PeriodicalId":97,"journal":{"name":"Organic Chemistry Frontiers","volume":"51 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148908842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Visible-light-mediated selective α-polyfluoroarylation and alkenylation of phenol- and thiophenol-derived aryl alkyl ethers","authors":"Ting Zhang,Siyuan Xiong,Delin Wu,Tianbao Liu,Shuguang Chen,Yongjia Shang,Hao Wu","doi":"10.1039/d6qo01031h","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6qo01031h","url":null,"abstract":"A visible-light-induced, transition-metal-free dehydrogenative polyfluoroarylation and alkenylation reaction of aryl alkyl ethers and thioethers has been developed. The reaction proceeds via a single-electron-transfer (SET) radical pathway and exhibits a broad substrate scope, good functional group tolerance, and facile gram-scale scalability. This protocol enables selective construction of acyclic and cyclic ethers through electrophile tuning, and supports late-stage functionalization of phenol-derived complex molecules.","PeriodicalId":97,"journal":{"name":"Organic Chemistry Frontiers","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148908870","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mechanistic Insights into a Four-Component Catellani Reaction: How Self-Inhibition Governs Electrophile Ordering","authors":"Bo Xiao,Chengxi Yang,Jinning Yin,Tian-Yu Sun","doi":"10.1039/d6qo01169a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6qo01169a","url":null,"abstract":"Multicomponent coupling is a powerful strategy to rapidly build complex molecules, yet its broader application is often limited by poor chemoselectivity arising from competing cross-couplings among multiple substrates. Luan and co-workers recently disclosed a four-component Catellani reaction that enables sequence-controlled ortho difunctionalization of aryl iodides, in which benzoic anhydride and benzyl bromide undergo oxidative addition in a defined order. However, the mechanistic origin of this electrophile ordering has remained unclear. Herein, we employ density functional theory calculations to elucidate the factors governing this chemoselectivity. We identify benzoic anhydride as a self-inhibitory electrophile: its initial incorporation installs a benzoyl group that preferentially suppresses further reaction through the anhydride pathway, thereby shifting the relative selectivity of the second oxidative addition toward benzyl bromide. In addition, the anhydride pathway exhibits a markedly stronger dependence on electronic substituent effects than the benzyl bromide pathway. These mechanistic insights clarify the origin of electrophile ordering in this challenging four-component process and provide a theoretical foundation for future electrophile selection in multicomponent Pd/NBE catalysis.","PeriodicalId":97,"journal":{"name":"Organic Chemistry Frontiers","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148908843","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}