Recent Developments in Photochemical and Electrochemical Decarboxylative C(sp3)-N Bond Formation

Considering the important applications of nitrogen-containing compounds in agrochemical materials and biomolecular drug molecules, research on methods for the construction of C-N bonds quickly and efficiently has become an important topic in synthetic chemistry. Carboxylic acids are inexpensive, stable, and non-toxic substances that are widely present in Nature, which makes them appealing as potential coupling partners for C(sp(3))-N bond-forming reactions. Moreover, compared with the well-established transition-metal-catalyzed protocols, the rapid development of photoredox catalysis and electrochemical methods in recent years provides options for chemists to design new synthetic routes. In this short review, we concentrate on the decarboxylative C(sp(3))-N coupling reactions mediated by visible light or electricity, with special attention on mechanistic insights.