Decarboxylative Csp3–N Bond Formation by Electrochemical Oxidation of Amino Acids

Decarboxylative C_sp³-N coupling reactions have been developed through electrochemical oxidation of amino acids. The reaction proceeds via anodic oxidative decarboxylation of carboxylic acids to form stabilized carbocations, which are trapped by azoles or amides to construct C-N bonds. This method avoids the preactivation of carboxylic acids and the use of expensive transition-metals and external chemical oxidants.