N,O-Auxiliary Enabled Cobaltaelectro-Catalyzed Atroposelective C–H Annulation

Herein, we disclosed an efficient synthesis of C–N axially chiral pyridine-N-oxides through cobalt-catalyzed enantioselective C–H activation and annulation under electro-oxidative conditions. This protocol is accomplished by using a readily available cobalt(II) catalyst and chiral salicyloxazoline (Salox) ligand in an undivided cell. The combination of electrochemical synthesis and simple Co/Salox system enabled effective control over the chemo- and enantioselectivity of the annulation process. A broad range of benzamides and alkynes bearing diverse functional groups are well compatible to deliver C–N axially chiral products with high yields and enantioselectivities (up to 97% yield and 99% ee). The scalability, asymmetric application, and diverse transformations demonstrated the synthetic practicality. Moreover, the photoluminescence properties of C–N axially chiral products further highlight the potential applications of this strategy in functional material development and performance enhancement.