Recent advances in the strain-release driven reactions of bicyclobutanes: an emerging landscape in organic synthesis

Shiksha Deswal, Rohan Chandra Das and Akkattu T. Biju

Chem. Soc. Rev., 2026
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Diastereoselective dearomative cycloaddition of bicyclobutanes with pyridinium ylides: a modular approach to multisubstituted azabicyclo[3.1.1]heptanes

Kushal Dhake, Kyla J. Woelk, Liam D. N. Krueckl, Faith Alberts, James Mutter, Matthew O. Pohl, Gilian T. Thomas, Muskan Sharma, Jaelyn Bjornerud-Brown, Nahiane Pipaón Fernández, Nathan D. Schley and David C. Leitch

Chem. Commun., 2024, 60, 13008
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Lewis acid-catalyzed (3 + 2) annulation of bicyclobutanes with ynamides: access to 2-amino-bicyclo[2.1.1]hexenes

Deeptanu Sarkar, Shiksha Deswal, Rohan Chandra Das and Akkattu T. Biju

Chem. Sci., 2024, 15, 16243
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Enantioselective dearomative formal (3+3) cycloadditions of bicyclobutanes with aromatic azomethine imines: access to fused 2,3-diazabicyclo[3.1.1]heptanes

Xue-Chun Yang, Feng Wu, Wen-Biao Wu, Xu Zhang and Jian-Jun Feng

Chem. Sci., 2024, 15, 19488
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(3 + 2)-Cycloaddition of bicyclobutanes and thioketones: access to 2-thiabicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes without the use of catalysts or light

Daniil A. Knyazev, Malini George and Daniel B. Werz

Chem. Sci., 2025, 16, 8588
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TfOH-triggered denitrogenative union of diazo carbonyl compounds and indolin-2-thiones toward functionalized indole derivatives and their preliminary anticancer assessment

Sakshi Haridas Sable, S. S. S. S. Sudha Ambadipudi, Sai Balaji Andugulapati and Alagesan Balasubramani

Org. Biomol. Chem., 2026, 24, 1697
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Lewis acid catalyzed tandem difunctionalization/fragmentation reactions of bicyclobutanes: access to 2-vinylidenyl 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds

Kun Deng, Xue-Chun Yang, Jian-Jun Feng and Zhaofeng Wang

Org. Chem. Front., 2026, 13, 472
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Lewis acid catalyzed divergent annulation of bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes and quinones for the synthesis of various polycyclic molecules

Ramji Meher and Subhas Chandra Pan

Org. Chem. Front., 2025, 12, 5908
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Diastereoselective 1,3-nitrooxygenation of bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes

Anirban Maity, Kuruva Balanna, Constantin G. Daniliuc and Armido Studer

Chem. Sci., 2025, 16, 7264
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Synthesis of Cyclobutanes and Cyclobutenes by Strain-Release-Driven Ring-Opening of Bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes

Xuan Zhan, Heng-Xian He, Quanxin Peng and Jian-Jun Feng

Synthesis, 2024, 56, 3829
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Simultaneous Activation of Bicyclobutanes and Indolyl Alcohols with HFIP: Access to Indole‐Fused Bicyclo[3.1.1]Heptanes

Shiksha Deswal, Rohan Chandra Das, Deeptanu Sarkar and Akkattu T. Biju

Angewandte Chemie, 2025, 137
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Lewis Acid Catalyzed Divergent Reaction of Bicyclo[1.1.0]Butanes With Quinones for the Synthesis of Diverse Polycyclic Molecules

Qian‐Qian Hu, Ze‐Xiang Geng, Xue Bai, Jie Chen and Ling Zhou

Angewandte Chemie, 2025, 137
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Lewis Acid-Assisted Formal C═S Insertion of Thioindolinones to Bicyclobutanes: Diastereoselective Access to Trisubstituted Cyclobutanethiols

Palash Roy, Shiksha Deswal and Akkattu T. Biju

Org. Lett., 2025, 27, 10916
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Strain-Release-Driven Alder–Ene Reaction of Bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes with β-Fluoroalkyl-α,β-Unsaturated Ketones

Wenjie Xu, Zhiyi Zhang, Hao Wu and Dachang Bai

J. Org. Chem., 2025, 90, 7003
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Solvent‐Dependent Divergent Cyclization of Bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes

Fuhao Zhang, Subhabrata Dutta, Alessia Petti, Debanjan Rana, Constantin G. Daniliuc and Frank Glorius

Angew Chem Int Ed, 2025, 64
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Lewis Acid-Catalyzed 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition of Bicyclobutanes with Isatogens: Access to Tetracyclic 2-Oxa-3-azabicyclo[3.1.1]heptanes

Shiksha Deswal, Rohan Chandra Das, Deeptanu Sarkar and Akkattu T. Biju

JACS Au, 2025, 5, 136
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Lewis Acid Catalyzed Divergent Reaction of Bicyclo[1.1.0]Butanes With Quinones for the Synthesis of Diverse Polycyclic Molecules

Qian‐Qian Hu, Ze‐Xiang Geng, Xue Bai, Jie Chen and Ling Zhou

Angew Chem Int Ed, 2025, 64
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Ring-Opening Cyclization (ROC) of spiro-Epoxyoxindoles with Indoles/Aldehydes: An Easy Access to Polyheterocyclic spiro-Oxindoles

Bharat Singh, Suraj Kashyap, Hardik Soni, Indresh Verma and Manas K. Ghorai

J. Org. Chem., 2025, 90, 3897
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Lewis Acid-Catalyzed Ring-Opening Reaction of Bicyclobutanes (BCBs) for the Highly Selective Synthesis of 1,1,3-Trisubstituted Cyclobutanes

Mengcheng Zhang, Yuying Chen, Jiayu Liu, Shangyuan Li, Wenjia Xu, Jiaojiao Qi and Xiantao Ma

Org. Lett., 2025, 27, 9471
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Lewis Acid‐Catalyzed Unusual (4+3) Annulation of para‐Quinone Methides with Bicyclobutanes: Access to Oxabicyclo[4.1.1]Octanes

Shiksha Deswal, Avishek Guin and Akkattu T. Biju

Angew Chem Int Ed, 2024, 63
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Sc(OTf)3‐Catalyzed Ring‐Opening Reactions of Donor‐Acceptor Cyclopropanes/Bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes: Access to 3‐Substituted Chromenones, Cyclopenta[b]chromenones and 2‐Aminobicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes

Poonam Rani and Sampak Samanta

Adv Synth Catal, 2025, 367
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Simultaneous Activation of Bicyclobutanes and Indolyl Alcohols with HFIP: Access to Indole‐Fused Bicyclo[3.1.1]Heptanes

Shiksha Deswal, Rohan Chandra Das, Deeptanu Sarkar and Akkattu T. Biju

Angew Chem Int Ed, 2025, 64
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Rhodium(III)-Catalyzed Three-Component Diamination of Bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes via Nitrene Transfer

Shunle Hu, Lijuan Jv, Ruijie Mi and Xingwei Li

Org. Lett., 2026, 28, 265
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HFIP-Mediated Spiro-annulation of Bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes with α-Halo Hydroxamates: Access to Functionalized Spirocyclobutenes

Safa Shajahan, Shiksha Deswal, Malini George, Mumtaz Ahmad, Kishor Mohanan, Daniel B. Werz and Akkattu T. Biju

Org. Lett., 2025, 27, 8137
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Lösungsmittelabhängige divergente Cyclisierung von Bicyclo[1.1.0]butanen

Fuhao Zhang, Subhabrata Dutta, Alessia Petti, Debanjan Rana, Constantin G. Daniliuc and Frank Glorius

Angewandte Chemie, 2025, 137
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Lewis Acid-Catalyzed Enantioselective (4 + 3)/Thia-(3 + 2) Cycloadditions of Bicyclobutanes and Enaminothiones: Catalyst-Directed Divergent Synthesis of Bridged Sulfur Heterocycles

Lei Tang, Wenjuan Bai, Kun-Ju Wang, Feng Wu, Quanxin Peng, Genping Huang and Jian-Jun Feng

ACS Catal., 2025, 15, 7877
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HFIP-Mediated Ring Opening of Bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes with Hydroperoxides for Diastereoselective Access to Peroxycyclobutanes

Priyanshu Gupta, Palash Roy and Akkattu T. Biju

Org. Lett., 2025, 27, 10477
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Strain-Release-Driven [4 + 1] Annulation: Leveraging Bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes as C1 Synthons via Rh(III) Carbenoid

Shang-Shi Zhang, Wen-Xuan Zou, Zi-Xuan Wan, Can Yu, Jia-Lin Song, Xiang Liu, Cheng Zeng, Xiaohui Cao and Pengju Feng

ACS Catal., 2026, 16, 4925
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Lewis Acid Catalyzed Dual Strain-Release Platform for Transforming Azabicyclo[1.1.0]butanes into Functionalized Azetidines with Donor–Acceptor(D-A) Cyclopropanes and Bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes

Subhadeep Hazra, Manveer Patel, Soumik Mondal, Rezwan Ahmed, Pujan Sasmal, Swati De and Jaideep Saha

Org. Lett., 2026, 28, 4554
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Regio- and Diastereoselective Cascade Reactions of Bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes: Access to gem-Difluorinated Carbocyclic Rings

Zhiyi Zhang, Hao Wu, Wenjie Xu and Dachang Bai

Org. Lett., 2025, 27, 4378
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Regiodivergent hydrophosphination of Bicyclo[1.1.0]-Butanes under catalyst control

Zhuo Huang, Huiwen Tan, Ranran Cui, Yudong Hu, Siyu Zhang, Jinming Jia, Xinglong Zhang and Qing-Wei Zhang

Nat Commun, 2025, 16
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Electrochemical Activation of Bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes

Jeremy T. Maddigan-Wyatt, Daniil A. Knyazev and Daniel B. Werz

Org. Lett., 2026, 28, 2573
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Domino-Annulation-Based Approach to Synthesize Bridged Bis-thiopyrano[2,3-b]indoles and Unbridged Thiopyrano[2,3-b]indoles

Yan-Hui Fu, Chun Zhang, Wei Xu, Wenting Fu, Wenjun Zhang, Kang Zhou, Hongbin Zhai, Taimin Wang and Bin Cheng

Org. Lett., 2025, 27, 3899
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Lewis Acid‐Catalyzed Unusual (4+3) Annulation of para‐Quinone Methides with Bicyclobutanes: Access to Oxabicyclo[4.1.1]Octanes

Shiksha Deswal, Avishek Guin and Akkattu T. Biju

Angewandte Chemie, 2024, 136
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