Electrochemical water activation for the oxidative cleavage of alkenes

Abstract

Oxidative cleavage of alkenes allows rapid access to valuable products, starting from simple petrochemicals. Water is an ideal carrier of oxygen. Here, we report a novel electrochemical water activation for the oxidative cleavage of alkenes. Water was used as an abundant and economical oxygen source, with no additional oxidants or complex workups. A wide range of alkenes such as activated alkenes and unactivated alkenes were tolerated. Additionally, we observed oxidative cleavage of the allylic C-C(vinyl) σ-bond and a unique linear paired electrolysis mode, which are not observed in existing methods for the oxidative cleavage of olefins.