Themed collection Synthetic electrochemistry

Guest Editors Kevin Lam, Shelley D. Minteer and Darren L. Poole introduce the Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry themed issue on synthetic electrochemistry.

This review describes synthetically relevant electrochemically driven protocols for cleavage and subsequent functionalization of C–F bonds, including photoelectrochemical strategies.

This review provides an overview of the total syntheses of structurally intriguing natural products in which electrochemical processes play an important role as a key methodology.

Recent progress on sustainable electrochemical synthesis involving carboxylic acids was reviewed.

In this review we target sp, sp² and sp³ carbon fluorination, chlorination, bromination and iodination reactions using electrolysis as a redox medium. Mechanistic insights and substrate reactivity are also discussed.

An efficient electrochemical oxidation strategy for the total synthesis of (±)-folicanthine (1b), has been envisioned. Control experiments suggest that a PCET pathway involving stepwise ET-PT was involved in the key oxidative dimerization process.

The highly efficient chemoselective hydrogenation of benzoic acids to cyclohexanecarboxylic acids was carried out in a proton-exchange membrane reactor under mild conditions without hydrogenation of the carboxyl group.

A convenient approach for the synthesis of foldable redox-active flavin peptide conjugates was established.

A tetraarylhydrazine-based redox catalyst has been discovered by serendipity through the electrochemical decomposition of a triarylamine. This catalyst is effective in promoting the electrosynthesis of imidazo-fused N-heteroaromatic compounds.

Electrochemical flow functionalization of alkenes is providing fast and easy access to dibromides or bromohydrins.

The synthesis of cyclic and acyclic diaryliodonium salts by anodic oxidation of iodobiaryls and iodoarene/arene mixtures has been developed in a simple undivided electrolysis cell in MeCN–HFIP–TfOH without any added electrolyte salts.

Electrochemical sulfonylation/cyclization of 2-alkynylthioanisoles with sodium sulfinates was developed under catalyst-, external oxidant- and metal-free conditions.

A novel method for the continuous synthesis of selenated iminoisobenzofurans by cyclization of olefinic amides with diselenides through electrochemical oxidation under metal-free and oxidant-free conditions has been developed.

A novel electrochemical method for the synthesis of α,β-epoxy ketones is reported.

Using graphite felt as electrodes and ammonia as a hydrogen source to reduce nitroarene to azoxyarene, azoarene, hydrazo, and aniline by tuning reaction conditions.