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N.D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry

facilityMoscow, Russia

Research output, citation impact, and the most-cited recent papers from N.D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry (Russia). Aggregated across the NobleBlocks index of 300M+ scholarly works.

Total works
21.5K
Citations
619.3K
h-index
175
i10-index
16.7K
Also known as
Federal State Institution of Science Institute of Organic Chemistry. ND Zelinsky of Russian Academy of SciencesN.D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic ChemistryФедеральное государственное бюджетное учреждение науки Институт органической химии им. Н.Д. Зелинского Российской академии наук

Top-cited papers from N.D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry

Transition-Metal-Catalyzed C−S, C−Se, and C−Te Bond Formation via Cross-Coupling and Atom-Economic Addition Reactions
I. P. Beletskaya, Valentine P. Ananikov
2011· Chemical Reviews1.7Kdoi:10.1021/cr100347k

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVReviewNEXTTransition-Metal-Catalyzed C−S, C−Se, and C−Te Bond Formation via Cross-Coupling and Atom-Economic Addition ReactionsIrina P. Beletskaya*‡ and Valentine P. Ananikov*§View Author Information‡ Lomonosov Moscow State University, Chemistry Department, Vorob'evy gory, Moscow 119899, Russia§ Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 47, Moscow 119991, Russia*E-mail: [email protected]; Fax: +7 (495) 9393618 (Beletskaya). E-mail: [email protected]; Fax: +7 (499) 1355328 (Ananikov).Cite this: Chem. Rev. 2011, 111, 3, 1596–1636Publication Date (Web):March 9, 2011Publication History Received18 October 2010Published online9 March 2011Published inissue 9 March 2011https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/cr100347khttps://doi.org/10.1021/cr100347kreview-articleACS PublicationsCopyright © 2011 American Chemical SocietyRequest reuse permissionsArticle Views20187Altmetric-Citations1437LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InRedditEmail Other access optionsGet e-Alertsclose SUBJECTS:Anions,Catalysts,Cross coupling reaction,Hydrocarbons,Thiols Get e-Alerts

Biological Activity of Ionic Liquids and Their Application in Pharmaceutics and Medicine
Ksenia S. Egorova, Evgeniy G. Gordeev, Valentine P. Ananikov
2017· Chemical Reviews1.6Kdoi:10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00562

Ionic liquids are remarkable chemical compounds, which find applications in many areas of modern science. Because of their highly tunable nature and exceptional properties, ionic liquids have become essential players in the fields of synthesis and catalysis, extraction, electrochemistry, analytics, biotechnology, etc. Apart from physical and chemical features of ionic liquids, their high biological activity has been attracting significant attention from biochemists, ecologists, and medical scientists. This Review is dedicated to biological activities of ionic liquids, with a special emphasis on their potential employment in pharmaceutics and medicine. The accumulated data on the biological activity of ionic liquids, including their antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties, are discussed in view of possible applications in drug synthesis and drug delivery systems. Dedicated attention is given to a novel active pharmaceutical ingredient-ionic liquid (API-IL) concept, which suggests using traditional drugs in the form of ionic liquid species. The main aim of this Review is to attract a broad audience of chemical, biological, and medical scientists to study advantages of ionic liquid pharmaceutics. Overall, the discussed data highlight the importance of the research direction defined as "Ioliomics", studies of ions in liquids in modern chemistry, biology, and medicine.

Symbol Nomenclature for Graphical Representations of Glycans
Ajit Varki, Richard D. Cummings, Markus Aebi, Nicolle H. Packer +4 more
2015· Glycobiology1.1Kdoi:10.1093/glycob/cwv091

ISSN:0959-6658

A comparative study of the anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antiangiogenic, and antiadhesive activities of nine different fucoidans from brown seaweeds
Albana Cumashi, Natalia A. Ushakova, M. E. Preobrazhenskaya, Armida D’Incecco +4 more
2007· Glycobiology1.0Kdoi:10.1093/glycob/cwm014

The anti-inflammatory, antiangiogenic, anticoagulant, and antiadhesive properties of fucoidans obtained from nine species of brown algae were studied in order to examine the influence of fucoidan origin and composition on their biological activities. All fucoidans inhibited leucocyte recruitment in an inflammation model in rats, and neither the content of fucose and sulfate nor other structural features of their polysaccharide backbones significantly affected the efficacy of fucoidans in this model. In vitro evaluation of P-selectin-mediated neutrophil adhesion to platelets under flow conditions revealed that only polysaccharides from Laminaria saccharina, L. digitata, Fucus evanescens, F. serratus, F. distichus, F. spiralis, and Ascophyllum nodosum could serve as P-selectin inhibitors. All fucoidans, except that from Cladosiphon okamuranus carrying substantial levels of 2-O-alpha-D-glucuronopyranosyl branches in the linear (1-->3)-linked poly-alpha-fucopyranoside chain, exhibited anticoagulant activity as measured by activated partial thromboplastin time whereas only fucoidans from L. saccharina, L. digitata, F. serratus, F. distichus, and F. evanescens displayed strong antithrombin activity in a platelet aggregation test. The last fucoidans potently inhibited human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) tubulogenesis in vitro and this property correlated with decreased levels of plasminogen-activator inhibitor-1 in HUVEC supernatants, suggesting a possible mechanism of fucoidan-induced inhibition of tubulogenesis. Finally, fucoidans from L. saccharina, L. digitata, F. serratus, F. distichus, and F. vesiculosus strongly blocked MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cell adhesion to platelets, an effect which might have critical implications in tumor metastasis. The data presented herein provide a new rationale for the development of potential drugs for thrombosis, inflammation, and tumor progression.

Density functional theory is straying from the path toward the exact functional
Michael G. Medvedev, Иван С. Бушмаринов, Jianwei Sun, John P. Perdew +1 more
2017· Science980doi:10.1126/science.aah5975

The theorems at the core of density functional theory (DFT) state that the energy of a many-electron system in its ground state is fully defined by its electron density distribution. This connection is made via the exact functional for the energy, which minimizes at the exact density. For years, DFT development focused on energies, implicitly assuming that functionals producing better energies become better approximations of the exact functional. We examined the other side of the coin: the energy-minimizing electron densities for atomic species, as produced by 128 historical and modern DFT functionals. We found that these densities became closer to the exact ones, reflecting theoretical advances, until the early 2000s, when this trend was reversed by unconstrained functionals sacrificing physical rigor for the flexibility of empirical fitting.

Nickel: The “Spirited Horse” of Transition Metal Catalysis
Valentine P. Ananikov
2015· ACS Catalysis790doi:10.1021/acscatal.5b00072

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVViewpointNEXTNickel: The "Spirited Horse" of Transition Metal CatalysisValentine P. Ananikov*View Author Information N. D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 47, 119991 Moscow, Russia*E-mail: [email protected]Cite this: ACS Catal. 2015, 5, 3, 1964–1971Publication Date (Web):February 17, 2015Publication History Received15 January 2015Published online24 February 2015Published inissue 6 March 2015https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acscatal.5b00072https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.5b00072editorialACS PublicationsCopyright © 2015 American Chemical Society. This publication is available under these Terms of Use. Request reuse permissions This publication is free to access through this site. Learn MoreArticle Views33981Altmetric-Citations620LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InRedditEmail PDF (1 MB) Get e-AlertscloseSUBJECTS:Catalysis,Catalysts,Metals,Nickel,Palladium Get e-Alerts

Toxicity of Metal Compounds: Knowledge and Myths
Ksenia S. Egorova, Valentine P. Ananikov
2017· Organometallics690doi:10.1021/acs.organomet.7b00605

Organometallic reagents and metal catalysts are used ubiquitously in academia and industry. Not surprisingly, the biological activity and environmental danger of metal compounds have become topics of outstanding importance. In spite of the rapid development of toxicology during the last decades, several common historically established "beliefs" are still frequently circulating in the organometallic community. In this Tutorial, we discuss existing opinions concerning (1) possibilities of toxicity measurements, (2) high toxicities of heavy-metal compounds, (3) correlation between the structure of a metal compound and its toxicity, (4) biological effect of direct/indirect contacts with metal compounds, and (5) dangers of metal nanoparticles. Basic concepts of toxicity studies and known data are described in the Tutorial step by step upon discussion of these issues. The main goal of this Tutorial is to demonstrate that the toxicity of a metal cannot be regarded as a constant property, since it depends on the oxidation state, ligands, solubility, morphology of particles, properties of the environment, and several other factors. As far as such chemically labile species as metal compounds are concerned, the nature of biological effects should not be assumed or taken for granted; indeed, reliable conclusions cannot be made without dedicated measurements.

CHARMM-GUI <i>Membrane Builder</i> for Complex Biological Membrane Simulations with Glycolipids and Lipoglycans
Jumin Lee, Dhilon S. Patel, Jonas Ståhle, Sang‐Jun Park +4 more
2018· Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation667doi:10.1021/acs.jctc.8b01066

Glycolipids (such as glycoglycerolipids, glycosphingolipids, and glycosylphosphatidylinositol) and lipoglycans (such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS), lipooligosaccharides (LOS), mycobacterial lipoarabinomannan, and mycoplasma lipoglycans) are typically found on the surface of cell membranes and play crucial roles in various cellular functions. Characterizing their structure and dynamics at the molecular level is essential to understand their biological roles, but systematic generation of glycolipid and lipoglycan structures is challenging because of great variations in lipid structures and glycan sequences (i.e., carbohydrate types and their linkages). To facilitate the generation of all-atom glycolipid/LPS/LOS structures, we have developed Glycolipid Modeler and LPS Modeler in CHARMM-GUI ( http://www.charmm-gui.org ), a web-based interface that simplifies building of complex biological simulation systems. In addition, we have incorporated these modules into Membrane Builder so that users can readily build a complex symmetric or asymmetric biological membrane system with various glycolipids and LPS/LOS. These tools are expected to be useful in innovative and novel glycolipid/LPS/LOS modeling and simulation research by easing tedious and intricate steps in modeling complex biological systems and shall provide insight into structures, dynamics, and underlying mechanisms of complex glycolipid-/LPS-/LOS-containing biological membrane systems.

Which Metals are Green for Catalysis? Comparison of the Toxicities of Ni, Cu, Fe, Pd, Pt, Rh, and Au Salts
Ksenia S. Egorova, Valentine P. Ananikov
2016· Angewandte Chemie International Edition487doi:10.1002/anie.201603777

Environmental profiles for the selected metals were compiled on the basis of available data on their biological activities. Analysis of the profiles suggests that the concept of toxic heavy metals and safe nontoxic alternatives based on lighter metals should be re-evaluated. Comparison of the toxicological data indicates that palladium, platinum, and gold compounds, often considered heavy and toxic, may in fact be not so dangerous, whereas complexes of nickel and copper, typically assumed to be green and sustainable alternatives, may possess significant toxicities, which is also greatly affected by the solubility in water and biological fluids. It appears that the development of new catalysts and novel applications should not rely on the existing assumptions concerning toxicity/nontoxicity. Overall, the available experimental data seem insufficient for accurate evaluation of biological activity of these metals and its modulation by the ligands. Without dedicated experimental measurements for particular metal/ligand frameworks, toxicity should not be used as a "selling point" when describing new catalysts.

Antioxidant Activity of Spices and Their Impact on Human Health: A Review
Alexander Yashin, Yakov I. Yashin, Xiaoyan Xia, Boris Nemzer
2017· Antioxidants485doi:10.3390/antiox6030070

Antioxidants are substances that prevent oxidation of other compounds or neutralize free radicals. Spices and herbs are rich sources of antioxidants. They have been used in food and beverages to enhance flavor, aroma and color. Due to their excellent antioxidant activity, spices and herbs have also been used to treat some diseases. In this review article, the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of spices and culinary herbs are presented. The content of flavonoids and total polyphenols in different spices and herbs are summarized. The applications of spices and their impacts on human health are briefly described. The extraction and analytical methods for determination of antioxidant capacity are concisely reviewed.

Updates to the Symbol Nomenclature for Glycans guidelines
Sriram Neelamegham, Kiyoko F. Aoki‐Kinoshita, Evan Bolton, Martin Frank +4 more
2019· Glycobiology475doi:10.1093/glycob/cwz045

The Symbol Nomenclature for Glycans (SNFG) is a community-curated standard for the depiction of monosaccharides and complex glycans using various colored-coded, geometric shapes, along with defined text additions. It is hosted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the NCBI-Glycans Page (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/glycans/snfg.html). Several changes have been made to the SNFG page in the past year to update the rules for depicting glycans using the SNFG, to include more examples of use, particularly for non-mammalian organisms, and to provide guidelines for the depiction of ambiguous glycan structures. This Glycoforum article summarizes these recent changes.

Toxicity of Ionic Liquids: Eco(cyto)activity as Complicated, but Unavoidable Parameter for Task‐Specific Optimization
Ksenia S. Egorova, Valentine P. Ananikov
2014· ChemSusChem432doi:10.1002/cssc.201300459

Rapid progress in the field of ionic liquids in recent decades led to the development of many outstanding energy-conversion processes, catalytic systems, synthetic procedures, and important practical applications. Task-specific optimization emerged as a sharpening stone for the fine-tuning of structure of ionic liquids, which resulted in unprecedented efficiency at the molecular level. Ionic-liquid systems showed promising opportunities in the development of green and sustainable technologies; however, the chemical nature of ionic liquids is not intrinsically green. Many ionic liquids were found to be toxic or even highly toxic towards cells and living organisms. In this Review, we show that biological activity and cytotoxicity of ionic liquids dramatically depend on the nature of a biological system. An ionic liquid may be not toxic for particular cells or organisms, but may demonstrate high toxicity towards another target present in the environment. Thus, a careful selection of biological activity data is a must for the correct assessment of chemical technologies involving ionic liquids. In addition to the direct biological activity (immediate response), several indirect effects and aftereffects are of primary importance. The following principal factors were revealed to modulate toxicity of ionic liquids: i) length of an alkyl chain in the cation; ii) degree of functionalization in the side chain of the cation; iii) anion nature; iv) cation nature; and v) mutual influence of anion and cation.

Stereochemical factors determining the effects of glycosylation on the <sup>13</sup>C chemical shifts in carbohydrates
Alexander S. Shashkov, Grigory M. Lipkind, Yuriy A. Knirel, Nikolay K. Kochetkov
1988· Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry371doi:10.1002/mrc.1260260904

Abstract Basic stereochemical factors have been revealed which affect the 13 C chemical shifts in glycosides with a chiral cyclohexane‐type aglycone and in disaccharides with a pyranosidic aglycone. The effects of glycosylation depend on the configuration of the anomeric centre of the glycosylating sugar residue (glycone) and on the relative absolute configuration of the glycone and aglycone. When at least one of the carbons of the aglycone, adjacent to the glycosylated carbon, bears an equatorial proton, this dependence is well accounted for by a strengthening or weakening of the spatial interaction between the protons of the glycone and aglycone, caused by a change in the conformation around the glycosidic linkage. Regularities in the glycosylation effects for disaccharides are generalized for various modes of substitution and different general configurations of the pyranosidic aglycones. Simple rules have been formulated for the prediction of the magnitudes of the glycosylation effects which can be used for the determination of some unknown structural elements in glycosides and disaccharides, in particular the absolute configuration of one of the constituent sugars.

Transition-Metal-Catalyzed C–S, C–Se, and C–Te Bond Formations via Cross-Coupling and Atom-Economic Addition Reactions. Achievements and Challenges
I. P. Beletskaya, Valentine P. Ananikov
2022· Chemical Reviews316doi:10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00836

In the present review, we discuss recent progress in the field of C-Z bond formation reactions (Z = S, Se, Te) catalyzed by transition metals. Two complementary methodologies are considered─catalytic cross-coupling reactions and catalytic addition reactions. The development of advanced catalytic systems is aimed at improved catalyst efficiency, reduced catalyst loading, better cost efficiency, environmental concerns, and higher selectivity and yields. The important rise of research efforts in sustainability and green chemistry areas is critically assessed. The paramount role of mechanistic studies in the development of a new generation of catalytic systems is addressed, and the key achievements, problems, and challenges are summarized for this field.

Chemical Transformations of Biomass-Derived C6-Furanic Platform Chemicals for Sustainable Energy Research, Materials Science, and Synthetic Building Blocks
Fedor A. Kucherov, Leonid V. Romashov, Konstantin I. Galkin, Valentine P. Ananikov
2018· ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering314doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b00971

Recent advances in the area of biomass-derived C6-furanic platform chemicals for sustainable biomass processing are analyzed focusing on chemical reactions important for development of practical applications and materials science. Among the chemical processes currently being studied, tuning the amount of oxygen-containing functional groups remains the most active research direction. Production of efficient fuels requires the removal of oxygen atoms (reduction reactions), whereas utilization of biomass-derived furanic derivatives in material science points out the importance of oxidation in order to form dicarboxylic derivatives. Stimulated by this driving force, oxidation and reduction of 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) are nowadays massively studied. Moreover, these fundamental transformations are often used as model reactions to test new catalysts, and HMF transformations guide the development of new catalytic systems. From the viewpoint of organic synthesis, highly diverse chemical reactivity is explored and a number of bioderived synthetic building blocks with different functional groups are now accessible. This Perspective covers the most recent literature (since Jan 2017) to highlight the emerging research trends.

Pd<sub>2</sub>(dba)<sub>3</sub> as a Precursor of Soluble Metal Complexes and Nanoparticles: Determination of Palladium Active Species for Catalysis and Synthesis
Sergey S. Zalesskiy, Valentine P. Ananikov
2012· Organometallics310doi:10.1021/om201217r

Tris(dibenzylideneacetone)dipalladium (Pd2(dba)3) is ubiquitously used as a source of soluble Pd species for catalysis and as a precursor in the synthesis of more complex Pd structures. In spite of the massive usage of this convenient Pd complex, its nature in solution has not been revealed in detail and the applications rely on the assumed state and purity of the compound. In the present study we have developed a convenient NMR procedure to reveal the nature of Pd2(dba)3 and to determine the purity of the complex. Surprisingly, it was found that commercially available samples of Pd2(dba)3 may readily contain up to 40% of Pd nanoparticles in a wide range of sizes (10–200 nm). The study has shown that the routinely accepted practice of utilization of Pd2(dba)3 without analysis of the purity (both commercially available and prepared by common procedures) can introduce significant errors in the estimation of catalyst efficiency and lead to incorrect values of TON, TOF, and reported mol % values in the catalytic procedures. The presence of Pd nanoparticles in the catalyst precursor provides an opportunity for heterogeneous catalytic systems of different nature to be directly accessible from Pd2(dba)3. In the present study we report a modified procedure for the synthesis of Pd2(dba)3·CHCl3 with 99% purity.

Structure and genetics of<i>Shigella</i>O antigens
Bin Liu, Yuriy A. Knirel, Lu Feng, Andrei V. Perepelov +4 more
2008· FEMS Microbiology Reviews300doi:10.1111/j.1574-6976.2008.00114.x

This review covers the O antigens of the 46 serotypes of Shigella, but those of most Shigella flexneri are variants of one basic structure, leaving 34 Shigella distinct O antigens to review, together with their gene clusters. Several of the structures and gene clusters are reported for the first time and this is the first such group for which structures and DNA sequences have been determined for all O antigens. Shigella strains are in effect Escherichia coli with a specific mode of pathogenicity, and 18 of the 34 O antigens are also found in traditional E. coli. Three are very similar to E. coli O antigens and 13 are unique to Shigella strains. The O antigen of Shigella sonnei is quite atypical for E. coli and is thought to have transferred from Plesiomonas. The other 12 O antigens unique to Shigella strains have structures that are typical of E. coli, but there are considerably more anomalies in their gene clusters, probably reflecting recent modification of the structures. Having the complete set of structures and genes opens the way for experimental studies on the role of this diversity in pathogenicity.

Toward the Ideal Catalyst: From Atomic Centers to a “Cocktail” of Catalysts
Valentine P. Ananikov, I. P. Beletskaya
2012· Organometallics298doi:10.1021/om201120n

The current state of the art and perspectives of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis are discussed for C–C and C–heteroatom bond formation in organic synthesis. The relationship between catalyst centers represented by a single metal atom and by multiple metal atoms is considered for reactions taking place in solution. The influence of leaching and catalyst evolution in the liquid phase on the activity, selectivity, and stability of the catalyst is highlighted from a mechanistic point of view. Metal nanoparticle and “nanosalt” types of catalysts are compared for constructing new C–C and C–heteroatom bonds.

Structure and genetics of<i>Escherichia coli</i>O antigens
Bin Liu, Axel Furevi, Andrei V. Perepelov, Xi Guo +4 more
2019· FEMS Microbiology Reviews286doi:10.1093/femsre/fuz028

Escherichia coli includes clonal groups of both commensal and pathogenic strains, with some of the latter causing serious infectious diseases. O antigen variation is current standard in defining strains for taxonomy and epidemiology, providing the basis for many serotyping schemes for Gram-negative bacteria. This review covers the diversity in E. coli O antigen structures and gene clusters, and the genetic basis for the structural diversity. Of the 187 formally defined O antigens, six (O31, O47, O67, O72, O94 and O122) have since been removed and three (O34, O89 and O144) strains do not produce any O antigen. Therefore, structures are presented for 176 of the 181 E. coli O antigens, some of which include subgroups. Most (93%) of these O antigens are synthesized via the Wzx/Wzy pathway, 11 via the ABC transporter pathway, with O20, O57 and O60 still uncharacterized due to failure to find their O antigen gene clusters. Biosynthetic pathways are given for 38 of the 49 sugars found in E. coli O antigens, and several pairs or groups of the E. coli antigens that have related structures show close relationships of the O antigen gene clusters within clades, thereby highlighting the genetic basis of the evolution of diversity.

Difluorocarbene as a Building Block for Consecutive Bond-Forming Reactions
Alexander D. Dilman, Vitalij V. Levin
2018· Accounts of Chemical Research272doi:10.1021/acs.accounts.8b00079

ConspectusCompounds containing a difluoromethylene unit have gained increasing attention due to their utility in drug design. Classic methods for the synthesis of these compounds rely on either harsh deoxofluorination reactions or laborious functional group manipulation sequences. In 2013, we proposed a method for assembling gem-difluorinated molecules from a difluorocarbene, a nucleophile, and an electrophile. In this process, a difluorocarbene can be considered an equivalent of a bipolar CF2 unit. Performing consecutive bond-forming reactions by sequential attachment of a nucleophile and an electrophile to a difluorocarbene provides the opportunity for the synthesis of a wide variety of organofluorine compounds. Silicon reagents were the most effective sources of the difluoromethylene fragment, and among them (bromodifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane (Me3SiCF2Br) is the reagent of choice. Mildly basic activators such HMPA, DMPU, bromide and acetate ions can initiate the decomposition of the silane with concomitant generation of a difluorocarbene.Organozinc reagents can be employed as nucleophiles, and the CF2 fragment can insert into the carbon–zinc bond. Primary and secondary benzyl and alkyl organozinc compounds work well. Generally, organozinc reagents tolerate a variety of functional groups. The resulting fluorinated organozinc species can be coupled with heteroatom- or carbon-centered electrophiles. Halogenation of the carbon–zinc bond leads to compounds with bromo- or iododifluoromethyl fragments, which are difficult to access by other means, whereas protonation of that bond generates a valuable difluoromethyl group. Despite the decrease in the reactivity of the carbon–zinc bond caused by the adjacent fluorines, organozinc compounds can effectively participate in copper-catalyzed cross-couplings with allylic and propargyl halides, 1-bromoalkynes, and S-acyl dithiocarbamates. Difluorocarbene can be inserted into the carbon–silicon bond of trimethylsilyl cyanide, and the resulting silane can react with aldehydes and imines to furnish difluorinated nitriles. Interactions of difluorocarbene with heteroatom nucleophiles, such as phosphines or halide ions, are reversible, but the adduct can be trapped by an electrophile. The use of halide ions allows the direct nucleophilic bromo- and iododifluoromethylation of aldehydes and iminium ions. The combination of triphenylphosphine with difluorocarbene generates a difluorinated phosphorus ylide, which can interact with a wide range of π-electrophiles (aldehydes, ketones, acyl chlorides, azomethines, and Michael acceptors) to provide gem-difluorinated phosphonium salts. In the latter species, the carbon–phosphorus bond can be readily cleaved under basic conditions, affording the difluoromethylation products.Primary products resulting from three-component couplings can subsequently be used for further transformations. Single-electron reduction of carbon–phosphorus or carbon–iodine bonds can be conducted under photocatalytic conditions to generate gem-difluorinated radicals. These radicals can be trapped by silyl enol ethers leading to β,β-difluorinated ketones as the primary products. Fluorinated radicals can also undergo intramolecular attacks adjacent to an aromatic ring or a double bond.