Electrochemical Oxidative ortho-Selective Trifluoromethylation of N-Arylamides

A metal-catalyst-free and external-oxidant-free electrochemical oxidative radical C-H ortho-trifluoromethylation is presented. The reaction specifically occurred at the ortho-position of anilides without directing groups. Various anilides showed good tolerance to provide the desired products in moderate to good yields. In addition, the gram-scale amplified product of benzanilide was obtained with a yield of 64 %, which proved that it has a certain application potential.

Automated summary

This article presents a metal-catalyst-free and external-oxidant-free electrochemical oxidative radical C-H ortho-trifluoromethylation. The reaction specifically occurs at the ortho-position of anilides without directing groups. Various anilides show good tolerance and provide the desired products in moderate to good yields. Additionally, the gram-scale amplified product of benzanilide is obtained with a yield of 64%, demonstrating its potential for application.