Electroreduction of unactivated alkenes using water as hydrogen source.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 38555370.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-47168-w and PMC identifier 10981685.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Herein, we report an electroreduction of unactivated alkyl alkenes enabled by [Fe]-H, which is provided through the combination of anodic iron salts and the silane generated in situ via cathodic reduction, using H<sub>2</sub>O as an H-source. The catalytic amounts of Si-additive work as an H-carrier from H<sub>2</sub>O to generate a highly active silane species in situ under continuous electrochemical conditions. This approach shows a broad substrate scope and good functional group compatibility. In addition to hydrogenation, the use of D<sub>2</sub>O instead of H<sub>2</sub>O provides the desired deuterated products in good yields with excellent D-incorporation (up to >99%). Further late-stage hydrogenation of complex molecules and drug derivatives demonstrate potential application in the pharmaceutical industry. Mechanistic studies are performed and provide support for the proposed mechanistic pathway.