Electrochemical Generation of Ketyl Radicals and Their Applications

Abstract

Ketyl radicals display new reactivities beyond the intrinsic electrophilicity of carbonyls. Recent progress in organic electrosynthesis has fueled the generation and utilization of ketyl radicals under ‘greener’ conditions. This graphical review summarizes these electrochemical advancements into three major categories: cross-pinacol couplings, coupling of carbonyls with alkyl radical precursors, and coupling of carbonyls with unsaturated systems (alkenes, alkynes, cyanoarenes, and N-heterocycles).