Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry: mechanistic tools for organic electrosynthesis.

Electrochemical methods offer unique advantages for chemical synthesis, as the reaction selectivity may be controlled by tuning the applied potential or current. Similarly, measuring the current or potential during the reaction can provide valuable mechanistic insights into these reactions. The aim of this tutorial review is to explain the use of cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry to interrogate reaction mechanisms, optimize electrochemical reactions, or design new reactions. Fundamental principles of cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry experiments are presented together with the application of these techniques to probe (electro)chemical reactions. Several diagnostic criteria are noted for the use of cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry to analyze coupled electrochemical-chemical (EC) reactions, and a series of individual mechanistic studies are presented. Steady state voltammetric and amperometric measurements, using microelectrodes (ME) or rotating disk electrodes (RDE) provide a means to analyze concentrations of redox active species in bulk solution and offer a versatile strategy to conduct kinetic analysis or determine the species present during (electro)synthetic chemical reactions.

Photoredox-Catalyzed Synthesis of α-Amino Acid Amides by Imine Carbamoylation.

An operationally simple protocol for the photocatalytic carbamoylation of imines is reported. Easily available, bench-stable 4-amido Hantzsch ester derivatives serve as precursors to carbamoyl radicals that undergo rapid addition to N-aryl imines. The reaction proceeds under blue light irradiation in the presence of the photocatalyst 3DPAFIPN and Brønsted/Lewis acid additives. Mechanistic studies indicated a photoredox mechanism that involves carbamoyl radicals.

Aryl Pyrazoles from Photocatalytic Cycloadditions of Arenediazonium.

A photocatalytic synthesis of 1,5-diaryl pyrazoles from arenediazoniums and arylcyclopropanols is reported. The reaction proceeded under mild conditions (rt, 20 min) with catalytic [Ru(bpy)3]2+ under blue-light irradiation and exhibited compatibility with several functional groups (e.g., I, SF5, SO2NH2, N3, CN) and perfect levels of regiocontrol. Mechanistic studies (luminescence spectroscopy, CV, DFT, radical trapping, quantum yield determination) documented an initial oxidative quenching of the excited photocatalyst and the operation of a radical-chain mechanism.

Photoredox-Catalyzed Addition of Carbamoyl Radicals to Olefins: A 1,4-Dihydropyridine Approach.

Functionalization with C1-building blocks are key synthetic methods in organic synthesis. The low reactivity of the most abundant C1 -molecule, carbon dioxide, makes alternative carboxylation reactions with CO2 -surrogates especially important. We report a photoredox-catalyzed protocol for alkene carbamoylations. Readily accessible 4-carboxamido-Hantzsch esters serve as convenient starting materials that generate carbamoyl radicals upon visible light-mediated single-electron transfer. Addition to various alkenes proceeded with high levels of regio- and chemoselectivity.

Catalyst-Free N-Deoxygenation by Photoexcitation of Hantzsch Ester.

A mild and operationally simple protocol for the deoxygenation of a variety of heteroaryl N-oxides and nitroarenes has been developed. A mixture of substrate and Hantzsch ester is proposed to result in an electron donor-acceptor complex, which upon blue-light irradiation undergoes photoinduced electron transfer between the two reactants to afford the products. N-oxide deoxygenation is demonstrated with 22 examples of functionally diverse substrates, and the chemoselective reduction of nitroarenes to the corresponding hydroxylamines is also shown.