Electrochemical Generation of Nitrogen-centered Radicals and its Application for the Green Synthesis of Heterocycles

Electrochemistry became a unique and powerful tool for the preparation of a plethora of valuable chemical species including functional materials, drug candidates and clinically approved pharmaceuticals. Organic electrosynthesis well satisfies main goals of green chemistry development and is considered as one of the useful approaches toward the creation of sustainable future. Since nitrogen heterocyclic scaffolds still retain their importance for the construction of novel materials and medications, one of the emerging trends in organic electrochemistry is the discovery of novel green and sustainable synthetic methods toward the assembly of heterocyclic subunits. In this regard, organic electrochemistry provides an efficient platform for environmentally benign generation of various nitrogen-centered radicals which are prominent intermediates in the synthesis of nitrogen heterocycles. In this Review, recent developments in the creation of green synthetic methods for the construction of nitrogen heterocycles via electrochemical generation of nitrogen-centered radicals are summarized. The special emphasis is devoted to the influence of solvent, electrodes and electrolytes on the electrochemical step, since these crucial parameters regulate the process efficiency.