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Borohydride Oxidation as Counter Reaction in Reductive Electrosynthesis
KTH, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health (CBH), Chemistry, Organic chemistry.ORCID iD: 0009-0006-8734-9652
KTH, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health (CBH), Chemistry, Organic chemistry.ORCID iD: 0009-0003-1445-0184
KTH, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health (CBH), Chemistry, Organic chemistry.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1507-0816
KTH, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health (CBH), Chemistry, Organic chemistry.ORCID iD: 0009-0000-8305-4108
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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. Vol. 64, no 20, article id e202501653
National Category
Organic Chemistry
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-365567DOI: 10.1002/anie.202501653ISI: 001486036200009PubMedID: 39992866Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105000879095OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-365567DiVA, id: diva2:1976140
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
In thesis
1. Reductive activation of C—S and C—O bonds: an electrosynthetic and computational study
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Reductive activation of C—S and C—O bonds: an electrosynthetic and computational study
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
electrosynthesis, reduction, desulfurization, deoxygenation, radical reactions, cross-coupling, elektrosyntes, reduktion, desulfurisering, deoxygenering, radikalreaktioner, korskoppling
National Category
Organic Chemistry
Research subject
Chemistry
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-375973 (URN)978-91-8106-527-5 (ISBN)
Public defence
2026-02-20, F3, Lindstedtvägen 26, Stockholm, 10:00 (English)
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Note

QC 20260129

Available from: 2026-01-29 Created: 2026-01-29 Last updated: 2026-03-20Bibliographically approved

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Kuzmin, JuliusLill, MalinAhumada, GuillermoGoossens, EllymayKjaer Steffensen, AstridLundberg, Helena

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