Direct electrochemical reduction of ethyl isonicotinate to 4-pyridinemethanol in an undivided flow reactor

4-pyridinemethanol is well known as an important pharmaceutical intermediate and chemical raw material. Its preparation by electrochemical method has seen a recent explosion of interest. In this paper, we report the synthesis of 4-pyridinemethanol by electrochemical reduction of ethyl isonicotinate using an undivided flow electrolysis cell. The experiments were conducted under different conditions, including applied charge, initial concentration of ethyl isonicotinate and H 2 SO 4 , current density, and electrode materials. The yield of 4-pyridinemethanol reached up to 71 % under the optimal conditions. The oxidation of target product was avoided by using Ti/IrO 2 anode in the absence of membrane separation. Furthermore, the repeat cycle experiments and cyclic voltammetric experiments showed that this approach possessed good reproducibility and stability.