Study of the single-electron oxidation/reduction of aminocatalytic intermediates by means of indirect electrolysis

Abstract

This project aims to explore how aminocatalysis and electrocatalysis can be synergistically implemented to develop novel sustainable and efficient functionalization of carbonylic compounds. To do so, the one-electron oxidation or reduction of classic amino-catalytic intermediates –enamines and iminium ions– have been investigated into indirect electrocatalytic processes with the use of redox mediators. In the actual catalytic conditions, enamines and iminium ions are formed in situ by the reaction between a carbonyl compound and the primary or secondary amine catalyst. In this work, to assess the feasibility and efficiency of the electron-transfer processes, the enamines and iminium ions of both aldehydes and ketones have been synthesized and isolated. On the other hand, three different redox mediators have also been synthesized to evaluate them, together with some commercially available compounds, as electrocatalysts. The assessment of the electrocatalytic interactions between the redox mediators and the aminocatalytic intermediates has been performed using cyclic voltammetry experiments