An Electrochemical Route for Special Oxidative Ring-Opening of Indoles

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/chem.202101527

A novel electrochemical protocol for the oxidative cleavage of indoles has been developed, which o?ers a simple way to access synthetically useful anthranilic acid derivatives. In undivided cells, a wide variety of indoles and alcohol compounds are examined to a?ord amide ester aromatics without using extra oxidants and stoichiometric metal catalysts, which avoids the formation of undesired by-products and exhibits high atom economy. The products we described in this perspective represent a synthetic intermediate in numerous drug molecules and industrial chemical reagents and remarkably show potential application in the future.