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30th Anniversary of Molecules—Recent Advances in Organic Chemistry
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30th Anniversary of Molecules—Recent Advances in Organic Chemistry

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Organic Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 3078

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Maria G. P. M. S. Neves

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and LAQV-REQUIMTE, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: organic synthesis; tetrapyrrolic macrocycles; photodynamic therapy; sensing; G-quadruplex ligands; solar cells; catalysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Antonia Di Mola

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dipartimento Di Chimica e Biologia “A. Zambelli”, Università degli Studi di Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
Interests: heterocyclic chemistry; polysaccharides; total synthesis of bioactive compounds
Dr. Nuno M. M. Moura

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and LAQV-REQUIMTE, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: organic chemistry; heterocycles; porphyrinoids; chemosensing; photodynamic processes; energy conversion systems; remediation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In 2025, we will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of Molecules. Molecules has carved out a notable space in the literature on chemistry, with an impact factor of 4.2 (2023) and a 5-year impact factor of 4.6 (2023). Our sincerest thanks go to our readers, authors, anonymous peer reviewers, editors, and all the people who have joined forces to work on the journal over the years. We would never have achieved this without your help.

To mark this important milestone, a Special Issue entitled “30th Anniversary of Molecules—Recent Advances in Organic Chemistry” is being launched. This Special Issue will include communications, full papers, and high-quality review papers from the field of organic chemistry.

We invite and encourage all research groups in the various areas of organic chemistry to make a contribution to this important and celebratory Special Issue.

Dr. Maria G. P. M. S. Neves
Dr. Antonia Di Mola
Dr. Nuno M. M. Moura
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • organic synthesis
  • organic chemistry research
  • theoretical study
  • reaction mechanisms
  • catalysis

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 1092 KiB  
Article
Design and Synthesis of Boronic Chalcones with Dual Anticancer and Anti-Inflammatory Activity
by Juliana Romano Lopes, Freddy Humberto Marin-Dett, Rita Alexandra Machado Silva, Rafael Consolin Chelucci, Lucília Saraiva, Maria Emília Sousa, Leonardo Luiz Gomes Ferreira, Adriano Defini Andricopulo, Paula Aboud Barbugli and Jean Leandro Dos Santos
Molecules 2025, 30(14), 3032; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30143032 - 19 Jul 2025
Abstract
Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a highly aggressive malignancy with limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Inflammation plays a critical role in HNC progression, with elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1β contributing to tumor development. In [...] Read more.
Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a highly aggressive malignancy with limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Inflammation plays a critical role in HNC progression, with elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1β contributing to tumor development. In this study, a novel series of boronic chalcones was designed and synthesized as potential dual-action anticancer and anti-inflammatory agents. The most potent compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC-25), and their selectivity index (SI) was determined. Compound 5 emerged as the most promising, displaying cytotoxicity against cancer cells, with IC50 values of 17.9 µM and a favorable SI (>3). Mechanistic studies revealed that its anticancer activity was independent of p53 status, and annexin V/PI staining indicated cell death via necrosis. Interestingly, compound 5 also significantly reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, as TNF and IL-6. Furthermore, drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) studies demonstrated that compound 5 exhibited moderate solubility and high permeability. These findings underscore the crucial role of the boronic acid moiety in enhancing both anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 30th Anniversary of Molecules—Recent Advances in Organic Chemistry)
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14 pages, 2002 KiB  
Article
Synthesis and Application of a New Cyclic Phosphoric Acid in Enantioselective Three-Component Mannich Reactions
by Giovanni Ghigo, Alessio Robiolio Bose and Stefano Dughera
Molecules 2025, 30(14), 2928; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30142928 - 10 Jul 2025
Viewed by 220
Abstract
A novel point-chiral six-membered cyclic phosphoric acid was synthesized starting from an enantiopure precursor via a concise three-step route. Its catalytic performance was evaluated in enantioselective three-component Mannich reactions. Under optimized conditions, the catalyst provided good yields and satisfactory enantiomeric excesses (up to [...] Read more.
A novel point-chiral six-membered cyclic phosphoric acid was synthesized starting from an enantiopure precursor via a concise three-step route. Its catalytic performance was evaluated in enantioselective three-component Mannich reactions. Under optimized conditions, the catalyst provided good yields and satisfactory enantiomeric excesses (up to 89%). The basic mechanism of the catalysis was also studied by the DFT method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 30th Anniversary of Molecules—Recent Advances in Organic Chemistry)
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22 pages, 3155 KiB  
Article
Cascade Reactions of Indigo with an Allenylic Reactant
by Dyah U. C. Rahayu, Christopher Richardson, John B. Bremner and Paul A. Keller
Molecules 2025, 30(14), 2899; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30142899 - 8 Jul 2025
Viewed by 496
Abstract
The base-enabled reaction of buta-2,3-dien-1-yl methanesulfonate with the readily available and cheap dye indigo resulted in the convenient one-pot synthesis of benzoindolonaphthyridinedione and benzoazepinopyridoindolediones, with the latter representing two novel heterocyclic scaffolds. Despite the low yields, the allenylic alkylation of indigo significantly contributes [...] Read more.
The base-enabled reaction of buta-2,3-dien-1-yl methanesulfonate with the readily available and cheap dye indigo resulted in the convenient one-pot synthesis of benzoindolonaphthyridinedione and benzoazepinopyridoindolediones, with the latter representing two novel heterocyclic scaffolds. Despite the low yields, the allenylic alkylation of indigo significantly contributes to the new chemistry of this compound, providing new mechanistic insights and reactivity boundaries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 30th Anniversary of Molecules—Recent Advances in Organic Chemistry)
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13 pages, 2255 KiB  
Article
Solid-Phase Oligosaccharide Synthesis with Highly Complexed Peptidoglycan Fragments
by Yuichiro Kadonaga, Ning Wang, Atsushi Shimoyama, Yukari Fujimoto and Koichi Fukase
Molecules 2025, 30(13), 2787; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30132787 - 28 Jun 2025
Viewed by 323
Abstract
Peptidoglycan (PGN) is a component of bacterial cell walls; its fragments are recognized by the cytoplasmic receptors Nod1 and Nod2, thereby promoting the production of inflammatory cytokines and antibodies. To further elucidate these biological defense mechanisms, a large and stable supply of the [...] Read more.
Peptidoglycan (PGN) is a component of bacterial cell walls; its fragments are recognized by the cytoplasmic receptors Nod1 and Nod2, thereby promoting the production of inflammatory cytokines and antibodies. To further elucidate these biological defense mechanisms, a large and stable supply of the PGN fragments via chemical synthesis is essential. However, the synthesis and purification of long PGN fragments are quite challenging due to their low solubility. In this study, we efficiently synthesized PGN fragments via solid-phase oligosaccharide synthesis (SPOS). Using the JandaJel™ Wang resin (JJ-Wang), an octasaccharide glycan chain of PGN was constructed by repeating glycosylation reactions to elongate β-1,4-linked disaccharide units composed of MurNAc and GlcNAc. To enhance reactivity, glycosylation was performed in a mixed solvent comprising C4F9OEt/CH2Cl2/THF with the intention of promoting substrate concentration onto the solid support through the fluorophobic effect, affording the PGN octasaccharide in a 19% overall yield (10 steps). Subsequently, after deprotection of the O-Fmoc, N-Troc, and ethyl ester groups, N- and O-acetylation proceeded smoothly, owing to the high swelling property of JJ-Wang. Peptide condensation with L-Ala-D-isoGln(OBn) and carboxylic acids was also achieved. Finally, cleavage of the PGN fragment from the resin with TFA afforded the desired octasaccharide with dipeptides in a 2.3% overall yield (15 steps). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 30th Anniversary of Molecules—Recent Advances in Organic Chemistry)
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12 pages, 1502 KiB  
Article
General Synthesis of 2-Substituted Benzoxazoles Based on Tf2O-Promoted Electrophilic Activation of Tertiary Amides
by Hongchen Li, Xingyong Wang, Fujun Zhao, Lu Wang and Songbao Fu
Molecules 2025, 30(7), 1510; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30071510 - 28 Mar 2025
Viewed by 847
Abstract
We report a method for the synthesis of 2-substituted benzoxazoles from tertiary amides and 2-aminophenols in the presence of triflic anhydride (Tf2O) and 2-Fluoropyridine (2-F-Pyr). The cascade reaction involves the activation of the amide carbonyl group by Tf2O, nucleophilic [...] Read more.
We report a method for the synthesis of 2-substituted benzoxazoles from tertiary amides and 2-aminophenols in the presence of triflic anhydride (Tf2O) and 2-Fluoropyridine (2-F-Pyr). The cascade reaction involves the activation of the amide carbonyl group by Tf2O, nucleophilic addition, intramolecular cyclization, and elimination. Furthermore, we explore the scope of this method by varying both the amide and 2-aminophenol substrates, highlighting its versatility in the synthesis of a wide range of functionalized benzoxazole derivatives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 30th Anniversary of Molecules—Recent Advances in Organic Chemistry)
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45 pages, 7119 KiB  
Review
A Comprehensive Review of Radical-Mediated Intramolecular Cyano-Group Migration
by Jia-Liang Zhu and Mei-Lin Chen
Molecules 2025, 30(14), 2959; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30142959 - 14 Jul 2025
Viewed by 250
Abstract
The radical-mediated intramolecular translocation of cyano groups has been recognized as a useful tool for the site-selective functionalization of organic molecules. The process is believed to proceed through the addition of an in situ-generated carbon-centered radical to the nitrile triple bond, followed by [...] Read more.
The radical-mediated intramolecular translocation of cyano groups has been recognized as a useful tool for the site-selective functionalization of organic molecules. The process is believed to proceed through the addition of an in situ-generated carbon-centered radical to the nitrile triple bond, followed by the β-scission of the resulting cyclic iminyl radical intermediate to relocate the cyano group and produce a more stable carbon radical for further elaboration. Beginning in the early 1960s and continuing for the next forty years, the research in this particular area has seen a surge of growth during the past two decades with advancements in radical chemistry and photocatalysis. The present article attempts to conduct a comprehensive review of existing studies on this topic by covering the literature from 1961 to 2025. The procedures developed for the purpose are grouped and discussed in four sections according to the strategies used to generate the initial carbon radicals, which include (i) hydrogen-atom transfer (HAT), (ii) radical addition to the π system, (iii) halogen-atom transfer (XAT), and (iv) the homolytic fission of a C-C single bond. In each section, a specific emphasis will be placed on reaction conditions, substrate scopes, and mechanisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 30th Anniversary of Molecules—Recent Advances in Organic Chemistry)
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