Synthesis of 1H-indazoles by an electrochemical radical Csp2-H/N-H cyclization of arylhydrazones

Palladium-Catalyzed Multicomponent Carbonylation of Halides to Acylhydrazones

The current methods for synthesizing acylhydrazones are limited by their multistep processes, narrow substrate scope, low selectivities, and poor yields. Herein, a fundamentally novel approach to bioactive acylhydrazones was developed based on the palladium-catalyzed multicomponent tandem condensation carbonylation of halides with aldehydes and hydrazines. This method provides a useful and efficient strategy for generating grams of various acylhydrazones in a one-pot manner. Mechanistic studies provided evidence of facile carbonylation of halides with the weak nucleophile hydrazones facilitated by a base.

Visible-Light-Driven Decarboxylative Coupling of 2H-Indazoles with α-Keto Acids without Photocatalysts and Oxidants

An efficient synthesis of functionalized 3-acyl-2H-indazoles via visible-light-induced self-catalyzed energy transfer was developed. This method utilized a self-catalyzed energy transfer process between 2H-indazoles and α-keto acids, offering advantages like absence of photosensitizers, metal catalysts, and strong oxidants, broad substrate compatibility, and operational simplicity under mild conditions.

Green Synthesis of Aromatic Nitrogen-Containing Heterocycles by Catalytic and Non-Traditional Activation Methods

Recent advances in the environmentally benign synthesis of aromatic N-heterocycles are reviewed, focusing primarily on the application of catalytic methods and non-traditional activation. This account features two main parts: the preparation of single ring N-heterocycles, and their condensed analogs. Both groups include compounds with one, two and more N-atoms. Due to the large number of protocols, this account focuses on providing representative examples to feature the available methods.

Electrochemical cycloaddition of hydrazones with cyanamide for the synthesis of substituted 5-amine-1,2,4-triazoles

An eco-friendly and efficient electrochemical method for the synthesis of 5-amine-1,2,4-triazole derivatives has been developed by employing hydrazones or in situ generation of hydrazones with cyanamide using KI as the catalyst and electrolyte. This strategy could be smoothly conducted with simple reaction conditions at room temperature without the addition of a chemical oxidant in an undivided cell, and cyanamide has been proven to be of great value in electrosynthesis.

Recent Advances in the Electrochemical Functionalization of Isocyanides

Isocyanides are well-known as efficient CO surrogates and C1 synthons in modern organic synthesis. Although tremendous efforts have been devoted to fully exploiting the reactivity of isocyanides, these transformations are primarily limited by their utilization of stoichiometric toxic chemical oxidants. With the recent resurgence of organic electrochemistry, which has considerably laid dormant over the past several decades, electrolysis has been identified as a green and powerful tool to enrich structural diversity by solely utilizing electric current as clean and inherently safe redox equivalents of stoichiometric chemical oxidants. In this regard, the unique reactivity of isocyanides has been studied in numerous electrochemical transformations. This review comprehensively highlights the most relevant progress in electrochemical strategies towards the functionalization of isocyanides up until June of 2022, with a focus on reaction outcomes and mechanisms.

Electrochemical Amidation: Benzoyl Hydrazine/Carbazate and Amine as Coupling Partners

An electrochemical amidation of benzoyl hydrazine/carbazate and primary/secondary amine as coupling partners via concomitant cleavage and formation of C(sp²)-N bonds has been achieved. This methodology proceeds under metal-free and exogenous oxidant-free conditions producing N₂ and H₂ as byproducts. Mechanistic studies reveal the in situ generations of both acyl and N-centered radicals from benzoyl hydrazines and amines. The utility of this protocol is demonstrated through a large-scale, and synthesis of bezafibrate, a hyperlipidemic drug.

Electrochemical selective annulative amino-ketalization and amino-oxygenation of 1,6-enynes

A new electrochemical selective annulative amino-ketalization and amino-oxygenation of 1,6-enynes with disulfonimides and alcohols is reported, producing a series of functionalized benzofurans under catalyst- and oxidant-free conditions. The annulative aminoketalization proceeds with simple short-chain alcohols such as methanol, ethanol and n-propanol as O-nucleophilic reagents, while the reaction occurs in the annulative aminooxygenation direction in the presence of water and large steric sec-butyl alcohol (SBA).

Metal-Free Synthesis of N-Heterocycles via Intramolecular Electrochemical C-H Aminations

N-heterocycles are key structural units in many drugs, biologically interesting molecules and functional materials. To avoid the residues of metal catalysts, the construction of N-heterocycles under metal-free conditions has attracted much research attention in academia and industry. Among them, the intramolecular electrochemical C-H aminations arguably constitute environmentally friendly methodologies for the metal-free construction of N-heterocycles, mainly due to the direct use of clean electricity as the redox agents. With the recent renaissance of organic electrosynthesis, the intramolecular electrochemical C-H aminations have undergone much progress in recent years. In this article, we would like to summarize the advances in this research field since 2019. The emphasis is placed on the reaction design and mechanistic insight. The challenges and future developments in the intramolecular electrochemical C-H aminations are also discussed.