Electrochemically initiated decarboxylation

During electrochemical fluorination retention of important functional groups or atoms in molecules is essential. Acyl fluorides and chlorides, but not carboxylic acids and anhydrides (which decarboxylate), survive perfluorination to the perfluorinated acid fluorides, albeit with some cyclization in longer chain (>C4) species [73]. Electrochemical fluorination of acetyl fluoride produces perfluoro-acetyl fluoride in 36-45% yields [85]. Electrochemical fluorination of octanoyl chloride results in perfluorinated cyclic ethers as well as perfluorinated octanoyl fluonde. Cyclization decreases as initial substrate concentration increases and has been linked to hydrogen-bonded onium polycations [73]. Cyclization is a common phenomenon involving longer (>C4) and branched chains. a-Alkyl-substituted carboxylic acid chlorides, fluorides, and methyl esters produce both the perfluorinated cyclic five- and six-membered ring ethers as well as the perfluorinated acid... 

With type iii-e reactions compounds (71) are formed. A radical tandem reaction initiated by the Kolbe electrolysis of (88) gave tricyclic compounds (89) in a one pot reaction (Scheme 32) [111]. The electrochemical decarboxylation avoids the usually applied toxic tin hydride as reagent and... 

At low light flux, the semiconductor sensitization is constrained to one electron routes, since the valence band hole is annihilated by a single electron transfer. Presumably after decarboxylation the resulting alkyl radical can be reduced to the observed monodecarboxylate more rapidly than it can transfer a second electron to form the alkene. In a conventional electrochemical cell, in contrast, the initially formed radical is held at an electrode poised at the potential of the first oxidation so that two-electron products cannot be avoided and alkene is isolated in fair chemical yield. Other contrasting reactivity can be expected for systems in which the usual electrochemistry follows multiple electron paths. 

The a-exomethylene-y-lactone framework has been successfully constructed via two electrosynthetic pathways, that is, both by the direct and by the concerted decarboxylation processes as mentioned earlier [Eq. (45)] [151]. The electrodecarboxylation of XCa is probably initiated by a one-electron oxidation of the sulfur atom, giving first the cation radical (XCb) and subsequently a concerted elimination of the thiyl radical and carbon dioxide to LXXXIX. On the other hand, the electrochemical decarboxylation of LXXXVIIIa involves an El-type elimination of a proton from the cation intermediate (LXXXVIIIb) generated from direct two-electron oxidation of the carboxyl group. The latter method generally requires a higher oxidation potential than that required for the concerted method. Therefore, the concerted electrodecarboxylation method becomes more advantageous, especially when the substrates or products are unstable under oxidative conditions. 

Considerable interest arises in electrochemical reactions in which a chemisorbed radical may be formed from an initially optically active center. In certain cases, chirality of the radical produced may be preserved if chemisorption occurs and leads to stereochemically different products from those which may arise in the corresponding homogeneous reaction. Examples which have been considered are products arising from reduction of certain ketones and in decarboxylation. For example, the stereochemistry at the C center in a radical RR R"C derived from an acid RR R"C COOH may be preserved if the radical is chemisorbed. Also, the radio of dl to meso diastereoisomers in the case of dimeric products may differ according to whether the products are formed heterogeneously or homogeneously. Steric effects can also influence the reduction of cis and trans reactants or the formation of cis and trans products in appropriate cases. 

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