Paired Electrochemical Decarboxylative Amidation of α‐Ketoacids With Nitroarenes

Abstract

ABSTRACT We report a paired electrochemical decarboxylative amidation of α‐ketoacids with nitroarenes for the direct synthesis of N‐aryl amides. Ferrocene‐mediated anodic decarboxylation generates acyl radicals, while cathodic reduction of nitroarenes enables the in situ generation of reactive nitrogen‐containing intermediates, thereby providing a direct route to C─N bond formation without preforming aniline coupling partners. The transformation proceeds under mild, transition‐metal‐catalyst‐free conditions without stoichiometric chemical oxidants or reductants. A broad range of α‐ketoacids and nitroarenes are compatible with the reaction, affording the corresponding N‐aryl amides with excellent functional‐group tolerance. Mechanistic studies support the involvement of acyl and nitrogen‐containing intermediates in the amidation process.