Dr. Julia Altarejos and Dr. Clara Mañanas, researchers from the Chemical Biology Group, have been awarded the prestigious Extraordinary Doctorate Award by the University of Alcalá for the 2023-2024 academic year.

This annual honor recognizes the most exceptional doctoral theses presented at the university. Dr. Altarejos completed her doctoral studies under the supervision of Dr. Javier Carreras, while Dr. Mañanas was supervised by Dr. Estibaliz Merino.

The Chemical Biology Group congratulates both researchers on this significant achievement, which recognizes the outstanding quality and impact of their work.

Congrats Clara and Julia!!

Marta Durán Martínez won Johnson & Johnson Prize of Sociedad Española de Química Terapéutica (SEQT) para Investigadores Noveles en el Campo de la Búsqueda y desarrollo de Nuevos Fármacos. Congratulations!

The award was received during the 19th Meeting of the Spanish Society of Medicinal Chemistry, Vitoria.
Flash communication:
Unveiling the therapeutic potential of the integrin-linked kinase with small molecules

Visible-light-initiated metal-free Csp3–Csp3 to Csp3–N conversion in homobenzylic sulfonamides with N-iodoimides

Guillermo Morales-Ortega,   Estíbaliz Merino  and  Javier Carreras*

We report a simple protocol for the transformation of Csp3–Csp3 to Csp3–N in homobenzylic sulfonamides in combination with N-iodoimides to form gem-diamino derivatives. The reaction exhibits a wide functional group tolerance and allows the incorporation of bioactive-derived fragments. The mechanistic insights provided by control experiments and DFT calculations suggest that an imine intermediate is formed after C−C bond cleavage.

Chem. Sci. 2025
DOI: 10.1039/D5SC02168E

Synthesis of Polysubstituted Naphthalenes via Metal-Free Borylative Cyclization of o-Alkynylstyrenes

Marcos Humanes, Manuel A. Fernández-Rodríguez,* Patricia García-García*

A selective, metal-free method for the synthesis of boron-functionalized polysubstituted naphthalenes via BCl₃-mediated cyclization of α-substituted o-alkynylstyrenes is described. The reaction exhibits broad substrate scope, tolerating various groups such as ethers, sulfides and halogens, and delivers high yields under mild conditions, even at gram scale. The resulting Bpin-functionalized naphthalenes serve as versatile building blocks, facilitating further transformations of the C−B bond into C−H, C−C, C−I, C−O, and C−N bonds, thereby increasing molecular complexity and enabling the design of more functionalized products. Notably, this sustainable and straightforward protocol selectively introduces the Bpin group at the sterically hindered α-carbon of the naphthalene framework, complementing C–H borylations of the naphthalene core, that preferentially occur at the β-position. As a result, the developed approach significantly broadens the accessibility of B-functionalized naphthalene derivatives for synthetic and application-oriented purposes.

Adv. Synth. Cat. 2025
DOI: 10.1002/adsc.202500244