The Active Chlorine Mediated Electrochemical Synthesis of Aromatic Nitriles through Cascade Reaction

An efficient and transition-metal-free synthesis strategy of aromatic nitriles from corresponding aldehydes with H2SO4(NH2OH)2 as the nitrogen source and Cl−/ClO− as the redox mediator was developed. The redox Cl−/ClO− showed electrochemical reversibility in acidic condition. The possible mechanism involving the transformation of Cl−, the generation and electrochemical reduction of nitrile oxides based on the results of cyclic voltammetry and constant current electrolysis was proposed.