Recent advances in electrochemical synthesis of diversely functionalized oxindole derivatives

Abstract

Functionalized oxindole derivatives are widely present in numerous drug-like molecules and natural products. A green and efficient protocol to access diversely functionalized oxindoles has been proven promising to enrich the drug candidate library, which is of high importance in drug discovery. Radical addition and cyclization of acrylamide derivatives can offer a straightforward strategy for the formation of functionalized oxindoles, and has gained tremendous attention from synthetic chemists in recent decades. In contrast to conventional organic synthesis, electrosynthesis has become a green and sustainable strategy for generating an array of radicals, and can employ traceless electrons as the redox agent instead of stoichiometric amounts of oxidants or reductants. This review will focus on the electrochemical synthesis of diversely functionalized oxindole derivatives through C–S, C–O, C–C, C–Se, and C–N bond formation over the past decade.