Controlled Heterogeneous Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Carboxylates and Halides for the Synthesis of Novel Chemicals Anurupa Maiti, Pradip Pachfule, Amit Biswas, Venkataramanan Mahalingam, Anup Bhunia Chemcatchem, 2025 The controlled reactivity of the (non)‐Kolbe reaction (for aliphatic acids) or halide oxidation offers a valuable solution for C─C and C─X bond formation. However, traditional Kolbe decarboxylation often suffers from side reactions like homocoupling and overoxidation at high current densities. Here, we introduce P, N‐doped Co₉S₈, named C9S8PN, a versatile adaptive anode catalyst capable of various organo‐electrocatalytic transformations, including magical methylation (alkylation), halogenation, and bromide‐assisted epoxidation. This nano‐material‐based catalyst effectively tames reactive alkyl, chlorine, and bromine radicals, enabling diverse functional group transformations under ambient conditions at an aqueous‐organic interface. Moreover, these reactions proceed at lower potentials, exhibit high chemoselectivity, and demonstrate improved catalyst compatibility compared to traditional methods for selective radical reactions. This work introduces a state‐of‐the‐art approach to suppress homocoupling and selectively promote intramolecular alkylation of decarboxylated radicals using nano‐material‐based heterogeneous surfaces and valorization of readily available electrolytes, leading to valuable transformations. The decarboxylative alkylation of alkenes in the C9S8PN interface arises due to higher double‐layer capacitance in terms of high electrochemical active sites of catalysts.
A BOIMPY Dye Enables Multi-Photoinduced Electron Transfer Catalysis: Reaching Super-Reducing Properties Amit Biswas, Simon Kolb, Sebastian H. Röttger, Arpan Das, Lukas J. Patalag, et al. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2025 An established concept to create radical intermediates is photoexcitation of a catalyst to a higher energy intermediate, subsequently leading to a photoinduced electron transfer (PET) with a reaction partner. The known concept of consecutive photoinduced electron transfer (con‐PET) leads to catalytically active species even higher in energy by the uptake of two photons. Generally speaking, increased photon uptake leads to a more potent reductant. Here, we report the concept of multi‐photoinduced electron transfer catalysis (>2 photons), termed multi‐PET, which is enabled by photoinduced one‐electron reductions of an organic dye. Further irradiation of the doubly reduced species leads to a photoexcited dianionic super‐reductant, which is more potent than Li metal – one of the strongest chemical reductants known. This multi‐photon process which is enabled by 390 nm LEDs allows the cleavage of strong carbon‐fluorine bonds and reduction of other halides even in very electron‐rich substrates. The resulting radicals are quenched by hydrogen atoms or engaged in carbon‐carbon and carbon‐phosphorus bond formations, highlighting the utility of multi‐PET for organic chemistry. In addition, multi‐PET enabled Birch‐type reductions. Spectroscopic, chemical and computational investigations are presented to gain mechanistic insights.
The energy storage application of core-/yolk-shell structures in sodium batteries Anurupa Maiti, Rasmita Biswal, Soumalya Debnath, Anup Bhunia Energy Advances, 2024 Materials with a core–shell and yolk–shell structure have attracted considerable attention owing to their attractive properties for application in Na batteries and other electrochemical energy storage systems.
Highly Stable Self-Regenerating Organic Multi-Redox Systems derived from Bicyclic (Alkyl)(amino)carbenes (BICAACs) Arpan Das, Sukanta Saha, Subir Maji, Pallavi Sarkar, Anex Jose, et al. Chemistry A European Journal, 2024 An extended class of organic multi‐redox systems was derived from bicyclic(alkyl)amino carbenes (BICAACs). The highly‐conjugated system undergoes a total of 4 redox events spanning a 1.8 V redox range. These organic compounds exhibited four different stable redox states (dication, radical cation, neutral and radical anion), and all of them were characterized either by single crystal X‐ray study and/or various spectroscopic studies. Three of the four redox states are stable to air and moisture. The availability of stable multiple redox states demonstrated promise towards their efficacy in the symmetric H‐cell charge/discharge cycling. Among various redox states, the dication/neutral state works efficiently and continuously for 1500 cycles in 2e− charge/discharge process outside glovebox in commercially available DMF with minimum capacity loss (retaining nearly 90 % Coulombic efficiency). Surprisingly, the efficiency of the redox cycle was retained even if the system was exposed to air for 30 days when it slowly regenerated to the initial deep blue radical cation, and it exhibited another 100 charge/discharge cycles with a minimal capacity loss. Such a stable H‐cell cycling ability is not well known among organic molecule‐based systems.
Denitrogenation of tosylhydrazones: synthesis of aryl alkyl sulfones catalyzed by a phenalenyl-based molecule Shiv Kumar, Paramita Datta, Anup Bhunia, Swadhin K. Mandal Catalysis Science and Technology, 2023 An efficient method is developed for the photoinduced generation of a radical species based on the smallest odd alternant polyaromatic hydrocarbon phenalenyl, and its application in redox catalysis for denitrogenative sulfonylation of tosylhydrazones.
Controlled Heterogeneous Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Carboxylates and Halides for the Synthesis of Novel Chemicals A Maiti, P Pachfule, A Biswas, V Mahalingam, A Bhunia ChemCatChem 17 (12), e202500069 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Machine learning assisted materials classification to boost catalyst design for electrochemical oxidation A Maiti, S Nandi, BJ Hazarika, B Pramanik, A Biswas, A Bhunia The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 129 (19), 9140-9151 , 2025 2025 Citations: 4
A BOIMPY Dye Enables Multi‐Photoinduced Electron Transfer Catalysis: Reaching Super‐Reducing Properties A Biswas, S Kolb, SH Röttger, A Das, LJ Patalag, PP Dey, S Sil, S Maji, ... Angewandte Chemie 137 (5), e202416472 , 2025 2025 Citations: 27
Thionoamides and Their Se and Te Analogs B Pramanik, U Patra, D Jain, A Bhunia Elsevier , 2025 2025
Oxygen-free alkene hydration using nitroarenes: Diastereoselective hydration of cholesteryl acetate AS Jonas Elfert, Anup Bhunia Organic Syntheses 101 (10.15227/orgsyn.101.0460), 460–477 , 2024 2024
Highly Stable Self‐Regenerating Organic Multi‐Redox Systems derived from Bicyclic (Alkyl)(amino) carbenes (BICAACs) A Das, S Saha, S Maji, P Sarkar, A Jose, MM Bhatt, A Bhunia, A Dutta, ... Chemistry–A European Journal 30 (26), e202303411 , 2024 2024 Citations: 3
Uncovering the On-Pathway Reaction Intermediates for Metal-Free Atom Transfer Radical Addition to Olefins through Photogenerated Phenalenyl Radical Anion P Datta, D Roy, D Jain, S Kumar, S Sil, A Bhunia, J Dasgupta, SK Mandal ACS Catalysis 14 (5), 3420-3433 , 2024 2024 Citations: 11
The energy storage application of core-/yolk–shell structures in sodium batteries A Maiti, R Biswal, S Debnath, A Bhunia Energy Advances 3 (6), 1238-1264 , 2024 2024 Citations: 14
Denitrogenation of tosylhydrazones: synthesis of aryl alkyl sulfones catalyzed by a phenalenyl-based molecule S Kumar, P Datta, A Bhunia, SK Mandal Catalysis Science & Technology 14 (1), 174-182 , 2024 2024 Citations: 7
Triple-photoinduced electron transfer (tri-PET) catalysis for activation of super strong bonds A Biswas, S Kolb, S Röttger, A Das, LJ Patalag, S Sil, S Maji, ... ChemRxiv 2023 (1101) , 2023 2023
Fe-Catalyzed Anaerobic Mukaiyama-Type Hydration of Alkenes using Nitroarenes (vol 60, pg 8313, 2021) A Bhunia, K Bergander, CG Daniliuc, A Studer ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION , 2023 2023
Intramolecular radical oxygen-transfer reactions using nitroarenes J Elfert, A Bhunia, CG Daniliuc, A Studer ACS Catalysis 13 (10), 6704-6709 , 2023 2023 Citations: 13
Mechanochemical solid state single electron transfer from reduced organic hydrocarbon for catalytic aryl-halide bond activation A Biswas, A Bhunia, SK Mandal Chemical Science 14 (10), 2606-2615 , 2023 2023 Citations: 23
Recent advances in radical chemistry proceeding through pro-aromatic radicals A Bhunia, A Studer Chem 7 (8), 2060-2100 , 2021 2021 Citations: 158
Fe‐catalyzed anaerobic mukaiyama‐type hydration of alkenes using nitroarenes A Bhunia, K Bergander, CG Daniliuc, A Studer Angewandte Chemie International Edition 60 (15), 8313-8320 , 2021 2021 Citations: 98
Nickel-catalyzed Markovnikov transfer hydrocyanation in the absence of Lewis acid NL Frye, A Bhunia, A Studer Organic Letters 22 (11), 4456-4460 , 2020 2020 Citations: 30
Boron has more surprises A Bhunia Chem 6 (2), 320-321 , 2020 2020 Citations: 4
Radical 1, 3-difunctionalization of allylboronic esters with concomitant 1, 2-boron shift K Jana, A Bhunia, A Studer Chem 6 (2), 512-522 , 2020 2020 Citations: 116
Cooperative palladium/Lewis acid-catalyzed transfer hydrocyanation of alkenes and alkynes using 1-methylcyclohexa-2, 5-diene-1-carbonitrile A Bhunia, K Bergander, A Studer Journal of the American Chemical Society 140 (47), 16353-16359 , 2018 2018 Citations: 101
Employing arynes for the generation of aryl anion equivalents and subsequent reaction with aldehydes RN Gaykar, A Bhunia, AT Biju The Journal of Organic Chemistry 83 (18), 11333-11340 , 2018 2018 Citations: 24
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Recent advances in transition-metal-free carbon–carbon and carbon–heteroatom bond-forming reactions using arynes A Bhunia, SR Yetra, AT Biju Chemical Society Reviews 41 (8), 3140-3152 , 2012 2012 Citations: 682
Employing arynes in Diels–Alder reactions and transition-metal-free multicomponent coupling and arylation reactions SS Bhojgude, A Bhunia, AT Biju Accounts of chemical research 49 (9), 1658-1670 , 2016 2016 Citations: 314
Recent advances in radical chemistry proceeding through pro-aromatic radicals A Bhunia, A Studer Chem 7 (8), 2060-2100 , 2021 2021 Citations: 158
Transition-metal-free multicomponent reactions involving arynes, N-heterocycles, and isatins A Bhunia, T Roy, P Pachfule, PR Rajamohanan, AT Biju Angew. Chem. Int. Ed 52 (10040.1) , 2013 2013 Citations: 123
Enantioselective N‐Heterocyclic Carbene‐Catalyzed Annulations of 2‐Bromoenals with 1, 3‐Dicarbonyl Compounds and Enamines via Chiral α, β‐Unsaturated Acylazoliums SR Yetra, A Bhunia, A Patra, MV Mane, K Vanka, AT Biju Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis 355 (6), 1089-1097 , 2013 2013 Citations: 122
Radical 1, 3-difunctionalization of allylboronic esters with concomitant 1, 2-boron shift K Jana, A Bhunia, A Studer Chem 6 (2), 512-522 , 2020 2020 Citations: 116
Cooperative palladium/Lewis acid-catalyzed transfer hydrocyanation of alkenes and alkynes using 1-methylcyclohexa-2, 5-diene-1-carbonitrile A Bhunia, K Bergander, A Studer Journal of the American Chemical Society 140 (47), 16353-16359 , 2018 2018 Citations: 101
Fe‐catalyzed anaerobic mukaiyama‐type hydration of alkenes using nitroarenes A Bhunia, K Bergander, CG Daniliuc, A Studer Angewandte Chemie International Edition 60 (15), 8313-8320 , 2021 2021 Citations: 98
Multicomponent reactions involving arynes, quinolines, and aldehydes A Bhunia, D Porwal, RG Gonnade, AT Biju Organic letters 15 (17), 4620-4623 , 2013 2013 Citations: 97
Efficient synthesis of 9-aryldihydrophenanthrenes by a cascade reaction involving arynes and styrenes SS Bhojgude, A Bhunia, RG Gonnade, AT Biju Organic Letters 16 (3), 676-679 , 2014 2014 Citations: 86
Synthesis of Functionalized Coumarins and Quinolinones by NHC-Catalyzed Annulation of Modified Enals with Heterocyclic C–H Acids SR Yetra, T Roy, A Bhunia, D Porwal, AT Biju The Journal of Organic Chemistry 79 (9), 4245-4251 , 2014 2014 Citations: 85
Efficient synthesis of γ-keto sulfones by NHC-catalyzed intermolecular Stetter reaction A Bhunia, SR Yetra, SS Bhojgude, AT Biju Organic letters 14 (11), 2830-2833 , 2012 2012 Citations: 77
A Practical and General Diels–Alder Reaction of Pentafulvenes with Arynes SS Bhojgude, T Kaicharla, A Bhunia, AT Biju Organic Letters 14 (16), 4098-4101 , 2012 2012 Citations: 68
Multicomponent reactions involving phosphines, arynes and aldehydes A Bhunia, T Kaicharla, D Porwal, RG Gonnade, AT Biju Chemical Communications 50 (77), 11389-11392 , 2014 2014 Citations: 64
Rapid access to benzoxaphospholes and their spiro analogues by a three-component coupling involving arynes, phosphines, and activated ketones A Bhunia, T Roy, RG Gonnade, AT Biju Organic letters 16 (19), 5132-5135 , 2014 2014 Citations: 62
Facile synthesis of γ-ketophosphonates by an intermolecular Stetter reaction onto vinylphosphonates A Patra, A Bhunia, AT Biju Organic letters 16 (18), 4798-4801 , 2014 2014 Citations: 62
Employing arynes in transition-metal-free, N-heterocycle-initiated multicomponent reactions A Bhunia, AT Biju Synlett 25 (05), 608-614 , 2014 2014 Citations: 48
NHC-catalyzed reaction of enals with hydroxy chalcones: diastereoselective synthesis of functionalized coumarins A Bhunia, A Patra, VG Puranik, AT Biju Organic letters 15 (7), 1756-1759 , 2013 2013 Citations: 47
Enantioselective synthesis of spiro γ-butyrolactones by N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed formal [3+ 2] annulation of enals with 3-hydroxy oxindoles S Mukherjee, S Joseph, A Bhunia, RG Gonnade, SR Yetra, AT Biju Organic & biomolecular chemistry 15 (9), 2013-2019 , 2017 2017 Citations: 40
Diastereoselective synthesis of cyclopentanone-fused spirooxindoles by N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed homoenolate annulation with isatilidenes A Patra, A Bhunia, SR Yetra, RG Gonnade, AT Biju Organic Chemistry Frontiers 2 (12), 1584-1588 , 2015 2015 Citations: 31
