Note: Due to annual leave, this week's issue only covers papers published between Monday 6^th July – Friday 10^th July. Papers published over the weekend will be included in next week's edition.

N. Pootheri, A. H. Umar & S. Lee*

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2026, ASAP (DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6c05971)

The authors report that dichloromethane can serve as an effective coupling reagent for direct amide bond formation between carboxylic acids and amines. Under mild basic conditions, the method affords a broad range of amides in high yields, is readily scalable, and largely preserves the stereochemical integrity of chiral substrates. Mechanistic studies support an S_N2/acyl substitution pathway involving the in situ formation of reactive chloromethyl ester intermediates.

Y. Zhang, T. Das, Z. Xuan, M. Das, H. O. Bisiriyu, A. Nudler, B. D. Parasch, M. D. Resmini, A. E. Graham, D. F. Watson, J. S. Hirschi* & P. Z. Musacchio*

Science 2026, First Release (DOI: 10.1126/science.aef0766)

Previously: ChemRxiv (DOI: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2026-180qz) 🔓

The authors report a photoredox-catalyzed strategy for the 1,2-difunctionalization of C(sp³)–X synthons enabled by a hydrogen-atom abstraction/spin-center shift (HAT/SCS) activation mode. Central to the approach is an "electrophilic shuttling" process that transfers C–X electrophilicity from one carbon to an adjacent position, allowing a broad range of alkyl C(sp³)–X substrates to undergo vicinal difunctionalization with two nucleophiles. The strategy provides streamlined access to bisazole architectures and other 1,2-difunctionalized products from readily available alkyl electrophiles.

P. S. Hazra, M. Robinson & M. K. Brown*

Nat. Synth. 2026 (DOI: 10.1038/s44160-026-01106-4) 🔓

The authors report the use of alkyl boronates as directing groups for site-selective distal C(sp³)–H functionalization. The method employs alkyl-BF₂ species, generated in situ from alkyl trifluoroborate salts, and 2-haloheteroarenes that form Lewis acid–base pairs under mild photoredox conditions to achieve β-selective heteroarylation via a cascade of single-electron reduction, 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer, and intramolecular heteroaryl migration.

J.-H. Xue, S. Lin, J. Huang, T. Kang, B. Park, M. D. Levin,* M. Kim* & H. Wang*

Nat. Catal. 2026 (DOI: 10.1038/s41929-026-01578-9) 🔓

The authors report the first catalytic, direct deaminative cyanation of aliphatic primary amines without preactivation. The method uses an anomeric amide to generate alkyl radicals from amines and TMSCN as the cyanide source, while a copper catalyst and N-fluorosulfonamide cooperatively promote radical coupling and chain propagation. This work represents the first integration of anomeric amide activation with a transition-metal-catalyzed bond-forming manifold. The strategy enables efficient cyanation, asymmetric deaminative cyanation, stereocenter inversion, and downstream transformations including homologation and CO insertion.

Y.-H. Li & D. W. C. MacMillan*

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2026, ASAP (DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6c10795) 🔓

The authors report a metallaphotoredox deoxygenative C(sp³)–C(sp) cross-coupling that enables the direct conversion of alcohols into alkynes using alkynyl bromides. NHC-mediated alcohol activation and nickel catalysis enable alkyl radical generation under mild, redox-neutral conditions, providing broad access to alkynes from structurally complex alcohols, including pharmaceuticals, peptides, nucleosides and natural products. The strategy also enables late-stage functionalization of amino acid side chains and other bioactive molecules.

M. R. Rodriguez, M. Jung, M. S. Faculak, A. D. Handlin, S. Liu & E. J. Alexanian*

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2026, ASAP (DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6c05405)

The authors report a visible-light-promoted, cobalt-catalyzed cyclohydrocarbonylation strategy for the regio- and stereoselective synthesis of δ-lactams, piperidines and lactones from readily available alkenyl amine and alcohol substrates. The mild annulation can be performed either under a carbon monoxide atmosphere or, at higher catalyst loadings, with Co₂(CO)₈ serving as both the precatalyst and an in situ carbon monoxide source.

J. Zhou,^† D. Raykowski,^† Z. Kowalski, S. Li, Y. Ping, Y. Luo, E. E. Kwan & R. Y. Liu*

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2026, ASAP (DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6c06565)

Previously: ChemRxiv (DOI: 10.26434/chemrxiv.15001482/v2) 🔓

The authors report a four-component variant of the Pd-catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura coupling that repurposes coupling partners conventionally used for C–C bond formation to instead forge amide bonds. Sequential insertion of CO, from Mo(CO)₆, and NH, from O-(diphenylphosphinyl)hydroxylamine (DPPH), enables the synthesis of secondary amides, enamides, α,β-unsaturated amides, and α,β-unsaturated enamides. The strategy provides rapid access to drug-like analogues and their corresponding "reverse amides" from the same starting materials.

Y.-B. Li,^† C. Stein,^† S. Zhou,^† D. Thielemann, T. J. Stoffels, N. Hölter, L. A. Kellermann, C. G. Daniliuc, K. N. Houk* & F. Glorius*

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2026, ASAP (DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6c08584)

The authors report a modular synthesis of densely substituted tetrahydrofurans from abundant building blocks using synergistic metallaphotoredox–Lewis acid catalysis. The method rapidly constructs four bonds with high chemo-, regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselectivity, enabling access to tetrahydrofurans bearing up to four stereocenters. Experimental and computational studies provide mechanistic insight, while high-throughput experimentation demonstrates the potential for rapid generation of tetrahydrofuran-based libraries.

X. Li, W. Fang, Q. Hu, J. Tang, H. Jiang, K. Chen* & Z. Ma*

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2026, ASAP (DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6c09478)

The authors report a divergent asymmetric synthesis of glutinosasins A–E, including the first syntheses of the unprecedented 8,14-seco-ent-kaurane natural products glutinosasins A–D. Central to the strategy are a Baran reductive olefin coupling to establish the trans-decalin framework and a Lewis acid-mediated deprotection/retro-Claisen condensation cascade that forges the characteristic 8,14-seco-ent-kaurane scaffold. The stereodivergent approach also enables access to both cis- and trans-decalin frameworks, providing a versatile platform for the synthesis of related diterpenoid natural products.

C. Roblick, J. D. Bendix, T. A. Hilton, K. Bussmann, C. G. Daniliuc & R. Gilmour*

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2026, Early View (DOI: 10.1002/anie.5570530) 🔓

The authors report a direct, para-selective fluorination enabled by I(I)/I(III) organocatalysis, providing access to para-fluorophenyl motifs without substrate pre-functionalization. The strategy exploits the Leonard link in phenylpropanoates and phenylpropanamides to promote a spirocyclization-driven para-selective activation sequence, enabling fluorination across a broad range of drug-like scaffolds, amino acids and dipeptides in up to 94% yield.

A. M. Stephens, J. A. Olvera, Y. Kraemer, T. Vu, W.-Y. Kong, S. Chaturvedi, J. M. Wang, L. M. Holder, D. J. Tantillo* & C. R. Pitts*

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2026, Early View (DOI: 10.1002/anie.4256865)

The authors report a regio- and diastereoselective strain-release pentafluorosulfanylation of 1,3-disubstituted bicyclobutanes, providing access to congested α-SF₅-substituted cyclobutanes. The resulting SF₅-cyclobutanes serve as versatile intermediates for the synthesis of SF₅-substituted oxa[2.1.1]bicyclohexanes (SF₅-OBHs), which emerge as promising hybrid bioisosteres of meta-CF₃-substituted arenes.

J. L. Tyler,^† M. Zeng,^† J. Wiener,^† M.-C. Leusmann, C. Stein, C. G. Daniliuc & F. Glorius*

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2026, Early View (DOI: 10.1002/anie.9599258) 🔓

The authors report an anomeric amide-enabled, one-pot strategy for the divergent functionalization of aldehydes, providing access to unsymmetrical ureas, carbamates, thiocarbamates, thioesters, amines and amides. Central to the method is the formation of N-Boc hydroxamate intermediates, which serve as versatile platforms for orthogonal activation through Lossen-type rearrangement, single-electron transfer or nucleophilic substitution, enabling rapid access to diverse molecular architectures.

A. K. Hofmeister, G. Iannelli, P. Angyal, A. Malandain, D. Kaiser, B. Maryasin, H. Kählig, M. Barel, G. Novarino & N. Maulide*

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2026, Early View (DOI: 10.1002/anie.1233707) 🔓

The authors report a unified method for the synthesis of α-polyhalomethyl amines from alkenes and alkynes using readily available hemiaminal reagents. The operationally simple transformation enables the introduction of CF₃, CF₂H, CF₂Cl, and CFClH groups under mild conditions with broad substrate scope and functional-group tolerance. The method also enables late-stage functionalization of drug-like molecules.

S. E. Davison, J. A. Andrews, A. E. Crumpton, M. S. Portela, M. A. Clegg, D. Valette & M. C. Willis*

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2026, Early View (DOI: 10.1002/anie.7086997) 🔓

The authors report N-alkoxysulfurdiimide reagents for the direct, one-step synthesis of primary NH₂-sulfonimidamides from organometallic reagents. By tuning the N-substituent, the reactivity of the sulfurdiimide reagents can be modulated, enabling compatibility with a broad range of aryl, heteroaryl and alkyl organometallic partners. This approach provides a modular route to sulfonimidamides, an emerging motif in medicinal chemistry.

X. Liu & G. Dong*

Acc. Chem. Res. 2026, ASAP (DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.6c00310)

In this Account, the authors summarise their recent advances in Pd/norbornene cooperative catalysis for the vicinal C2,C3-difunctionalization of electron-rich five-membered heteroarenes via double C–H activation. Covering both oxidative and redox-neutral manifolds, the review highlights strategies for the modular synthesis of densely substituted pyrroles, furans, thiophenes and indoles, alongside catalyst design principles, mechanistic insights and applications to complex molecule synthesis.

👾 What Lies Beneath. Nature has released its selection of the best science images from June, featuring a spectacular photograph of a siphonophore suspended 552 metres beneath the tropical South Atlantic Ocean. Captured in a graceful "S" shape, the siphonophore—derived from the Ancient Greek for "tube bearer"—appears illuminated against the darkness of the deep.

Siphonophores are among the ocean's most extraordinary animals. Rather than being single organisms, they are colonies of highly specialised individuals, known as zooids, that function together as one. Each zooid performs a dedicated role—feeding, swimming, reproduction or defence—and cannot survive independently. This remarkable division of labour has allowed some siphonophores, such as the giant Praya dubia, to exceed 50 metres in length, making them the second-longest sea organism, second only to the bootlace worm. Unsettlingly, the latter of which can occasionally be found washed up on Britain's coastline, although thankfully most individuals are nowhere near their reported maximum length.

The image was captured during a Schmidt Ocean Institute expedition exploring the ocean's vast region between the sunlit surface and the seafloor, which forms Earth's largest habitable ecosystem, yet remains one of its least explored. During just two weeks at sea, researchers discovered 31 species believed to be new to science, including a fast-swimming gossamer worm, nine jellyfish, seven siphonophores, seven comb jellies, four larvaceans, two giant single-celled rhizarians and a new amphipod.

Scientists believe the featured siphonophore itself may represent an entirely new genus, and perhaps even a new family, underscoring just how little of Earth's largest habitat has been explored. The deep-sea discoveries headline Nature's collection, which also features spectacular views of the aurora australis captured from the International Space Station, a beautifully preserved four-million-year-old juvenile tapir fossil uncovered in Spain, and a global visualisation of underground mycorrhizal fungal networks that underpin terrestrial ecosystems.