Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol.134, No.30, 12374-12377, 2012
Organocatalyzed Anodic Oxidation of Aldehydes
A method for the catalytic formation of electroauxiliaries and subsequent anodic oxidation has been developed. The process interfaces N-heterocyclic carbene-based organocatalysis with electro-organic synthesis to achieve direct oxidation of catalytically generated electroactive intermediates. We demonstrate the applicability of this method as a one-pot conversion of aldehydes to esters for a broad range of aldehyde and alcohol substrates. Furthermore, the anodic oxidation reactions are very clean, producing only H-2 gas as a result of cathodic reduction.