Electrochemical α‐Hydroxymethylation of Aryl Ketones with Methanol
β‐hydroxy ketones represent a class of compounds with broad applications in pharmaceuticals and bioactive molecules. However, the synthesis of these compounds often encounters various challenges. Herein, an electrochemical method is reported that utilizes methanol as a C1 source, enabling the α‐hydroxymethylation of a series of aryl ketones under oxidant‐free conditions for constructing β‐hydroxy ketones. This approach achieves high yields and exhibits broad substrate compatibility. Mechanistic investigations indicate that the reaction proceeds via a radical pathway, rather than through conventional methanol oxidation to formaldehyde.
Authors
- Jianwei Huang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5433-1513)
- Jianguo Hu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9832-6951)
- Lu Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7384-6889)
- Dian Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0417-8055)
- Bin Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5173-1098)
- Zhaoliang Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5498-6055)
- Huan Hu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0119-5789)
- Dongmei Yan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5558-3018)
Institutions
- Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CN)
- Jiangxi Normal University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- European Journal of Organic Chemistry
- Published
- 2025-10-29
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/ejoc.202500821
- Primary Topic
- Radical Photochemical Reactions
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00