Metal- and oxidant-free electrochemically promoted oxidative coupling of amines

The selective oxidation of amines into imines is a priority research topic in organic synthesis and has attracted much attention over the past few decades. However, the oxidation of amines generally suffers from the drawback of transition-metal, even noble-metal catalysts. Thus, the strategy of metal- and oxidant-free selective synthesis of imines is highly desirable yet largely unmet. This paper unravels a metal-free and external oxidant-free electrochemical strategy for the oxidative coupling methodology of amines. This general transformation is compatible with various functional amines and led to functionalized imines in moderate to satisfactory yields.