Electroselective and Controlled Reduction of Cyclic Imides to Hydroxylactams and Lactams
An efficient and practical electrochemical method for selective reduction of cyclic imides has been developed using a simple undivided cell with carbon electrodes at room temperature. The reaction provides a useful strategy for the rapid synthesis of hydroxylactams and lactams in a controllable manner, which is tuned by electric current and reaction time, and exhibits broad substrate scope and high functional group tolerance even to reduction-sensitive moieties. Initial mechanistic studies suggest that the approach heavily relies on the utilization of amines (e.g., i-Pr2NH), which are able to generate α-aminoalkyl radicals. This protocol provides an efficient route for the cleavage of C-O bonds under mild conditions with high chemoselectivity.
Potassium Hydroxide-Catalyzed Chemoselective Reduction of Cyclic Imides with Hydrosilanes: Synthesis of ω-Hydroxylactams and Lactams
Potassium hydroxide-catalyzed hydrosilylation exhibits excellent activity and chemoselectivity for the reduction of cyclic imides under mild reaction conditions. The chemoselectivity of the reduction system may be readily tuned by changing the identity an