Electrochemical deamination of alkoxyamine lactams

An anodic electrochemical deamination of 3-alkoxyamine lactams to 3-hydroxy lactams was developed. The electrochemical transformation was achieved by using reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) and stainless-steel electrodes in aqueous ethanolic solution of NaOAc. This simple electrochemical procedure represents an ecofriendly alternative to the traditional chemical reductive deamination, which requires of a large excess of Zn (up to 40 equivalents) and acetic acid. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.