Pairing Electrocarboxylation of Unsaturated Bonds with Oxidative Transformation of Alcohol and Amine.

A parallel paired electrosynthetic method, coupling electrocarboxylation incorporating CO2 into ketone, imine and alkene with alcohol oxidation or oxidative cyanation of amine, was developed for the first time. Various carboxylic acids as well as aldehyde/ketone or α-nitrile amine were prepared at the cathode and anode respectively in a divided cell. Its utility and merits on simultaneously achieving high atom-economic CO2 utilization, elevated faradaic efficiency (total FE of up to 166%), and broad substrate scope were demonstrated. The preparation of pharmaceutical intermediates for Naproxen and Ibuprofen via this approach proved its potential application in green organic electrosynthesis.