Electrochemical Oxidation of Primary Amines for the Synthesis of Benzimidazole, Benzothiazole, Quinazolinone, and Quinoxaline

The development of green and efficient methods for the construction of <i>N</i>-heterocyclic frameworks has attracted considerable attention in organic synthesis. In this work, an electrochemical oxidative cyclization of primary amines for the synthesis of benzimidazole, benzothiazole, quinazolinone, and quinoxaline has been developed. This catalyst- and oxidant-free strategy demonstrates good functional group tolerance, up to 87% yield of N-based heterocycles in an electrochemical undivided cell under open-air conditions and is easy to scale up.