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Reductive activation of C—S and C—O bonds: an electrosynthetic and computational study
KTH, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health (CBH), Chemistry, Organic chemistry.ORCID iD: 0009-0006-8734-9652
2026 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Organic electrosynthesis uses electricity as the “reagent” to drive redox reactionsinstead of relying on more traditional oxidants or reductants. Because electronsare supplied directly from an electrode, reactions can often be run underrelatively mild conditions and with less chemical waste. In this thesis,electrochemical methods are developed to target carbon-sulfur (C-S) bonds incommon sulfur-containing compounds of thioethers, thioacetals, disulfides, andthiols, and, in an analogous way, carbon-oxygen (C-O) bonds in esters.A major part of the work shows how aryl-alkyl thioethers can act as an alkylsource under electroreductive conditions. When electrolyzed the C(sp³)-S bondis cleaved selectively to form carbon centered radical, which can cross over to acarbanion. These intermediates can be converted into alkanes, or react withcarbon dioxide to form carboxylic acids, or add to electron-poor alkenes in aGiese-type reaction. Using the same activation concept, the thesis alsointroduces an electrochemical route to valuable alkylboronic esters by couplingthe carbanion with a boron reagent. Notably, this borylation strategy worksacross several classes of sulfur-containing motifs.Beyond developing new reactions, the thesis also addresses a practical challengein electrosynthesis. Many net-reductive electrochemical methods still rely onsacrificial metal anodes that are consumed during the reaction. Here,borohydride oxidation with inert anodes is evaluated as an alternative counterreaction across several net-reductive protocols, steering toward a moreoperationally convenient electrolysis setup.Finally, the thesis explores the electrochemical deoxygenation Markó-Lamreaction of esters using a computational approach. By mapping how variousdescriptors influence the C-O bond breaking step, the study connectsmeasurable properties such as reduction potentials with reaction barriers.

Abstract [sv]

Organisk elektrosyntes använder elektricitet som ”reagens” för att driva redoxreaktioner i stället för att förlita sig på mer traditionella oxidations- ellerreduktionsmedel. Elektroner förses direkt från en elektrod och kan därav oftagenomföras under relativt milda betingelser och generera mindre kemisktavfall. Denna avhandling fokuserar på utveckling av elektrokemiska metodermed inriktning på kol-svavel- (C-S) bindningar i tioetrar, tioacetaler, disulfideroch tioler, på ett liknande vis inkluderas kol-syre- (C-O) bindningar i estrar.En stor del av arbetet visar hur aryl-alkyl tioetrar kan användas som en källa tillalkyler under elektroreduktiv inducerad, kemoselektiv C(sp³)-S klyvning tillradikaler, vilket kan övergå till karbanjoner. Dessa intermediärer kanomvandlas till alkaner, reagera med koldioxid för att bilda karboxylsyror elleraddera till elektronfattiga alkener i en Giese-typ reaktion. Med utgångspunkt isamma aktiveringskoncept så utvecklades en desulfurativ boryleringsmetodgenom koppling av karbanjonen med borreagens. Denna boryleringsstrategifungerar för flera klasser av svavelföreningar.Utöver att utveckla nya reaktioner behandlar avhandlingen även en praktiskutmaning inom elektrosyntes. Många netto-reduktiva elektrokemiska metoderär fortfarande beroende av offermetallanoder som förbrukas under reaktionen.Här utvärderas borhydridoxidation med inerta anoder som en alternativmotreaktion i flera netto-reduktiva protokoll, vilket tillåter en simplareelektrolysuppställning.Slutligen undersöker avhandlingen den elektrokemiska Markó-Lamdeoxygeneringen av estrar med beräkningskemi. Genom att kartlägga hur olikadeskriptorer påverkar det C-O bindningsbrytande steget kopplas mätbaraegenskaper, såsom reduktionspotentialer, till reaktionsbarriärer.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 2026. , p. 118
Series
TRITA-CBH-FOU ; 2026:6
Keywords [en]
electrosynthesis, reduction, desulfurization, deoxygenation, radical reactions, cross-coupling
Keywords [sv]
elektrosyntes, reduktion, desulfurisering, deoxygenering, radikalreaktioner, korskoppling
National Category
Organic Chemistry
Research subject
Chemistry
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-375973ISBN: 978-91-8106-527-5 (print)OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-375973DiVA, id: diva2:2033347
Public defence
2026-02-20, F3, Lindstedtvägen 26, Stockholm, 10:00 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Note

QC 20260129

Available from: 2026-01-29 Created: 2026-01-29 Last updated: 2026-03-20Bibliographically approved
List of papers
1. Electroreductive Desulfurative Transformations with Thioethers as Alkyl Radical Precursors
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Electroreductive Desulfurative Transformations with Thioethers as Alkyl Radical Precursors
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2023 (English)In: Angewandte Chemie International Edition, ISSN 1433-7851, E-ISSN 1521-3773, Vol. 62, no 39, article id e202304272Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Thioethers are highly prevalent functional groups in organic compounds of natural and synthetic origin but remain remarkably underexplored as starting materials in desulfurative transformations. As such, new synthetic methods are highly desirable to unlock the potential of the compound class. In this vein, electrochemistry is an ideal tool to enable new reactivity and selectivity under mild conditions. Herein, we demonstrate the efficient use of aryl alkyl thioethers as alkyl radical precursors in electroreductive transformations, along with mechanistic details. The transformations proceed with complete selectivity for C(sp3)−S bond cleavage, orthogonal to that of established transition metal-catalyzed two-electron routes. We showcase a hydrodesulfurization protocol with broad functional group tolerance, the first example of desulfurative C(sp3)−C(sp3) bond formation in Giese-type cross-coupling and the first protocol for electrocarboxylation of synthetic relevance with thioethers as starting materials. Finally, the compound class is shown to outcompete their well-established sulfone analogues as alkyl radical precursors, demonstrating their synthetic potential for future desulfurative transformations in a one-electron manifold.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Wiley, 2023
Keywords
C−C Coupling, Desulfurization, Electrosynthesis, Radical Reactions, Thioether
National Category
Organic Chemistry
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-338531 (URN)10.1002/anie.202304272 (DOI)001033085900001 ()37342889 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-85165239156 (Scopus ID)
Note

QC 20231114

Available from: 2023-11-14 Created: 2023-11-14 Last updated: 2026-01-29Bibliographically approved
2. Electrochemical desulfurative borylation of thiols, disulfides, thioethers and thioacetals
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Electrochemical desulfurative borylation of thiols, disulfides, thioethers and thioacetals
2026 (English)In: Nature Communications, E-ISSN 2041-1723, Vol. 17, no 1, article id 632Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer Nature, 2026
National Category
Organic Chemistry
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-375970 (URN)10.1038/s41467-025-67363-7 (DOI)001665209700002 ()41540045 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-105027802183 (Scopus ID)
Note

QC 20260129

Available from: 2026-01-29 Created: 2026-01-29 Last updated: 2026-02-05Bibliographically approved
3. Borohydride Oxidation as Counter Reaction in Reductive Electrosynthesis
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Borohydride Oxidation as Counter Reaction in Reductive Electrosynthesis
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2025 (English)In: Angewandte Chemie International Edition, ISSN 1433-7851, E-ISSN 1521-3773, Vol. 64, no 20, article id e202501653Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

An efficient reaction at the counter electrode is of key importance for the success of net oxidative and net reductive electrochemical transformations. For electrooxidative processes, cathodic proton reduction to H 2 serves as the benchmark counter reaction. In contrast, net reductive electrochemical transformations have less attractive oxidative counter reactions to choose from and commonly rely on dissolution of a sacrificial anode that effectively results in stoichiometric metal consumption for the processes. In this study, we demonstrate that anodic borohydride oxidation has great potential to successfully replace the use of such sacrificial anodes for a variety of electroreductive organic transformations. This anodic transformation effectively serves as the inverse of cathodic proton reduction, producing H 2 using inert carbon‐based electrode materials.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Wiley, 2025
National Category
Organic Chemistry
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-365567 (URN)10.1002/anie.202501653 (DOI)001486036200009 ()39992866 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-105000879095 (Scopus ID)
Funder
Swedish Research Council, 2021-05551Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, FFL21-0005EU, European Research Council, 101164660Olle Engkvists stiftelseMagnus Bergvall FoundationLars Hierta Memorial Foundation
Note

QC 20250626

Available from: 2025-06-24 Created: 2025-06-24 Last updated: 2026-01-29Bibliographically approved
4. Reductive C-O bond cleavage and borylation of carboxylic esters
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Reductive C-O bond cleavage and borylation of carboxylic esters
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(English)Manuscript (preprint) (Other academic)
National Category
Organic Chemistry
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-375971 (URN)
Note

QC 20260129

Available from: 2026-01-29 Created: 2026-01-29 Last updated: 2026-01-29Bibliographically approved

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