Electricity Promoted Chemoselective Functionalization of Alkenes: Diastereoselective Synthesis of Oxindole Containing Thioethers and Selenoethers

Abstract An electricity promoted chemoselective functionalization of alkenes having oxindole moiety with thiols and selenols under the catalyst‐free conditions to afford thioethers and selenoethers in 70–96 % and 90–94 % respectively is described. Substrates bearing electron‐neutral, ‐donating, and ‐withdrawing substituents all were well tolerated under the developed electrochemical reaction conditions.