Electrochemical Oxidation of Desipramine Drug in the Presence of 4,6-Dimethylpyrimidine-2-thiol Nucleophile in Aqueous Acidic Medium

A green protocol for the electrochemical synthesis of a fluorescent dye with antibacterial activity from imipramine oxidation

Electrochemical oxidation of imipramine (IMP) has been studied in aqueous solutions by cyclic voltammetry and controlled-potential coulometry techniques. Our voltammetric results show a complex behavior for oxidation of IMP at different pH values. In this study, we focused our attention on the electrochemical oxidation of IMP at a pH of about 5. Under these conditions, our results show that the oxidation of IMP leads to the formation of a unique dimer of IMP (DIMP). The structure of synthesized dimer is fully characterized by UV-visible, FTIR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and mass spectrometry techniques. It seems that the first step in the oxidation of IMP is the cleavage of the alkyl group (formation of IMPH). After this, a domino oxidation-hydroxylation-dimerization-oxidation reaction, converts IMPH to (E)-10,10',11,11'-tetrahydro-[2,2'-bidibenzo[b,f]azepinylidene]-1,1'(5H,5'H)-dione (DIMP). The synthesis of DIMP is performed in an aqueous solution under mild conditions, without the need for any catalyst or oxidant. Based on our electrochemical findings as well as the identification of the final product, a possible reaction mechanism for IMP oxidation has been proposed. Conjugated double bonds in the DIMP structure cause the compound to become colored with sufficient fluorescence activity (excitation wave-length 535 nm and emission wave-length 625 nm). Moreover, DIMP has been evaluated for in vitro antibacterial. The antibacterial tests indicated that DIMP showed good antibacterial performance against all examined gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli and Shigella sonnei).

Electrochemical strategies for C-H functionalization and C-N bond formation

Conventional methods for carrying out carbon-hydrogen functionalization and carbon-nitrogen bond formation are typically conducted at elevated temperatures, and rely on expensive catalysts as well as the use of stoichiometric, and perhaps toxic, oxidants. In this regard, electrochemical synthesis has recently been recognized as a sustainable and scalable strategy for the construction of challenging carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds. Here, electrosynthesis has proven to be an environmentally benign, highly effective and versatile platform for achieving a wide range of nonclassical bond disconnections via generation of radical intermediates under mild reaction conditions. This review provides an overview on the use of anodic electrochemical methods for expediting the development of carbon-hydrogen functionalization and carbon-nitrogen bond formation strategies. Emphasis is placed on methodology development and mechanistic insight and aims to provide inspiration for future synthetic applications in the field of electrosynthesis.