Electro-Synthesis of Organic Compounds with Heterogeneous Catalysis

Electro-organic synthesis has attracted a lot of attention in pharmaceutical science, medicinal chemistry, and future industrial applications in energy storage and conversion. To date, there has not been a detailed review on electro-organic synthesis with the strategy of heterogeneous catalysis. In this review, the most recent advances in synthesizing value-added chemicals by heterogeneous catalysis are summarized. An overview of electrocatalytic oxidation and reduction processes as well as paired electrocatalysis is provided, and the anodic oxidation of alcohols (monohydric and polyhydric), aldehydes, and amines are discussed. This review also provides in-depth insight into the cathodic reduction of carboxylates, carbon dioxide, CC, C≡C, and reductive coupling reactions. Moreover, the electrocatalytic paired electro-synthesis methods, including parallel paired, sequential divergent paired, and convergent paired electrolysis, are summarized. Additionally, the strategies developed to achieve high electrosynthesis efficiency and the associated challenges are also addressed. It is believed that electro-organic synthesis is a promising direction of organic electrochemistry, offering numerous opportunities to develop new organic reaction methods.

Recent Development in Coordination Compounds as a Sensor for Cyanide Ions in Biological and Environmental Segments

Rapid detection of toxic ions has taken great attention in the last few decades due to its importance in maintaining a greener environment for human beings. The extreme toxicity of cyanide (CN-) ions is a great environmental concern as its continued industrial use generates interest in facile and sensitive methods for CN- ions detection. Since CN- ions act as a ligand in coordination chemistry which rapidly coordinates with suitable metals and forms complexes, this ability was mainly explored in its detection. It also attacks the central metal in coordination compounds and gives a fluorimetric response. Coordination compounds behave as a sensor for the detection of important ions like CN- ions and have gained great attention due to their facile synthesis, multianalyte detection, clear detection and low detection limit. Recently, considerable efforts have been devoted to the detection and quantification of hazardous multianalyte using a single probe. Cu2+ complexes are the main complexes used for CN- ions detection; however, the complexes of many other metals are also used as sensors. Four basic types of interaction have been discussed in coordination compound sensors for CN- detection. The performances of different sensors are compared with one another and the sensors which have the lowest detection limit are highlighted. This review comprises the progress made by coordination compounds as sensors for the detection of CN- ions in the last six years (2015-2021). To the best of our knowledge, there is no review on coordination compounds as a sensor for CN- ions during this period. [Figure: see text].

Metal- and oxidant-free electrochemically promoted oxidative coupling of amines

The selective oxidation of amines into imines is a priority research topic in organic synthesis and has attracted much attention over the past few decades. However, the oxidation of amines generally suffers from the drawback of transition-metal, even noble-metal catalysts. Thus, the strategy of metal- and oxidant-free selective synthesis of imines is highly desirable yet largely unmet. This paper unravels a metal-free and external oxidant-free electrochemical strategy for the oxidative coupling methodology of amines. This general transformation is compatible with various functional amines and led to functionalized imines in moderate to satisfactory yields.

Sn,P-coordinated Ru cation: a robust catalyst for aerobic oxidations of benzylamine and benzyl alcohol

A stable ionic κ²Sn,P-coordinated Ru complex shows excellent catalytic activity in aerobic oxidations of benzylamine and benzyl alcohol. This complex is stabilized by a stannylene-phosphine peri-substituted naphthalene ligand, which can act as either a reducing agent for a Ru(III) complex or as a κ²Sn,P-chelating ligand for Ru(II) compounds.

Anion-cation synergistic metal-free catalytic oxidative homocoupling of benzylamines by triazolium iodide salts

Triazolium iodide salts are excellent catalysts for the selective oxidative coupling of benzylamines to yield imines. This metal-free reaction proceeds in quantitative spectroscopic yields when run in refluxing 1,2-dichlorobenzene and open to the air. No catalytic activity was observed with related triazolium tetrafluoroborate salts. Variation of catalyst and reaction atmosphere provides mechanistic insights, and revealed dioxygen as the terminal oxidant and the iodine/iodide couple as key redox component in the catalytic dehydrogenation pathway. While molecular iodine is competent as a catalyst in its own right, the triazolium cation triples the reaction rate and reaches turnover frequencies up to 30 h-1, presumably through beneficial interactions of the electron-poor azolium π system and I2, which facilitate the electron transfer from the substrate to iodine and concomitant formation of I-. This acceleration is specific for triazolium cations and represents a hybrid anion/cation catalytic process as a simple and straightforward route towards imine products, with economic advantages over previously reported metal-based catalytic systems.

Uniform Cu/chitosan beads as a green and reusable catalyst for facile synthesis of imines via oxidative coupling reaction

A nonprecious metal and biopolymer-based catalyst, Cu/chitosan beads, has been successfully prepared by using a software-controlled flow system. Uniform, spherical Cu/chitosan beads can be obtained with diameters in millimeter-scale and narrow size distribution (0.78 ± 0.04 mm). The size and morphology of the Cu/chitosan beads are reproducible due to high precision of the flow rate. In addition, the application of the Cu/chitosan beads as a green and reusable catalyst has been demonstrated using a convenient and efficient protocol for the direct synthesis of imines via the oxidative self- and cross-coupling of amines (24 examples) with moderate to excellent yields. Importantly, the beads are stable and could be reused more than ten times without loss of the catalytic performance. Furthermore, because of the bead morphology, the Cu/chitosan catalyst has greatly simplified recycling and workup procedures.

Uniform, spherical Cu/chitosan beads prepared using a software-controlled flow system as a green and conveniently recyclable catalyst for the efficient synthesis of various imines in short reaction time.

Synthetic Access to Secondary Propargylamines via a Copper-Catalyzed Oxidative Deamination/Alkynylation Cascade

A novel and selective cascade reaction of primary amines and alkynes for the synthesis of the corresponding secondary propargylamines is described. This protocol proceeds with a CuBr₂/TBHP system through a process of oxidative deamination of primary amines to imine and alkynylation, featuring a wide scope of substrates with good functional-group tolerance and operational simplicity. Additionally, the use of two different primary amines could also work smoothly using this protocol.

Direct access toN-alkylated amines and iminesviaacceptorless dehydrogenative coupling catalyzed by a cobalt(ii)-NNN pincer complex

A Co(ii)-NNN pincer complex catalyzed directN-alkylation of anilines with alcoholsviahydrogen auto-transfer and selective acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling of benzylamines with alcohols affording imines with the liberation of molecular hydrogen and water is reported.