Electrochemical Cobalt-Catalyzed Difunctionalization of Alkenes and Alkynes: Recent Advances in Synthetic Applications

Abstract

Electro-organic reactions are now considered as one of the most efficient and environmentally benign methodologies to synthesize highly functionalized motifs like difunctionalized saturated and unsaturated compounds from readily available substrates. Excellent regioselectivity, functional group tolerance, and broad range of substrates are the main advantages of electrochemical difunctionalization reactions. Alkenes and alkynes readily accept radical or ionic derivatives which makes it vital precursors for the electrochemical synthesis of industrially relevant and biologically active molecules through difunctionalization. The integration of cobalt catalysis with electrochemistry not only enhances efficiency and selectivity but also provides a platform for discovering novel transformations, positioning cobalt electrosynergistic catalysis as a transformative tool for precision synthesis of functionalized alkenes and alkynes. Herein, we discuss the recent development in the difunctionalization of alkenes and alkynes via cobalt electrocatalysis.