Anodic Oxidation of Phenols: A Key Step for the Synthesis of Natural Products

Natural products have played a significant role not only in discovery of drugs but also in development of organic chemistry by providing the synthetic challenges. Inspired by biosynthesis where enzymes catalyze a multi-step reaction, we have investigated the natural product synthesis utilizing electrochemical reactions as the key step. Electrochemical organic synthesis, so-called electro-organic synthesis, enables to control the reactivity of substrates simply by tuning electrolysis conditions. In this Personal Account, we overview the recent progress of our research projects about natural product synthesis, in which anodic oxidation of phenol compounds affords the important frameworks such as diaryl ether, spirodienone, and spiroisoxazoline.

Automated summary

Natural products have played a significant role in drug discovery and organic chemistry development, with electrochemical reactions being investigated as a key step for natural product synthesis. Electro-organic synthesis allows for control of substrate reactivity by tuning electrolysis conditions, leading to the formation of important frameworks like diaryl ether, spirodienone, and spiroisoxazoline through anodic oxidation of phenol compounds.