Ring expansion of an antiaromatic beryllole: synthesis of novel five-, seven- and nine-membered beryllacycles

Abstract

This study investigates the reactivity of a beryllole and presents the first comparison between this antiaromatic species and its boron analogue, borole. The reaction of a beryllole with small molecules and unsaturated substrates led to ring expansion reactions or the insertion of atoms into the beryllole ring and the formation of five-, seven- or nine-membered beryllium-containing heterocyclic rings. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2026