Recent advances towards electrochemical transformations of α-keto acids

As a kind of environmentally benign reagents, alpha-keto acids have been extensively employed as key starting materials in organic synthesis. Organic electrosynthesis has the advantages of reducing byproduct generation, improving the cost-efficiency of synthetic processes, and accessing reactive intermediates under mild conditions. Inspired by the merits of organic electrosynthesis, alpha-keto acids have shown many synthetic applications in electrochemical acylation, cyclization, and reductive amination reactions with improved efficiencies and selectivities. This review covers the recent breakthroughs achieved in the electrochemical transformations of alpha-keto acids, aimed at highlighting these electrochemical reactions' features and mechanistic rationalisations. Meanwhile, the practicalities and limitations of these transformations are also presented where possible. (C) 2021 Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This review discusses the recent breakthroughs achieved in the electrochemical transformations of alpha-keto acids, showcasing their improved efficiencies and selectivities in electrochemical acylation, cyclization, and reductive amination reactions.