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Updated: May 28, 2025

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An Electrochemical Design for a General Catalytic Carboxylic Acid Substitution Platform via Anhydrides at Room
Jian Han1, Jacob J Piane1, Hannah Gizenski1
1Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States.
Abstract:
An original concept for catalytic electrochemical dehydration has enabled a suite of acid substitutions, including amidation, esterification, and thioesterification, through a linchpin anhydride formed in situ. By avoiding stoichiometric dehydrating agents, this method addresses a leading challenge in organic synthesis and green chemistry. It also proceeds without acid additives at room temperature, accesses a diverse range of product structures, is easily scaled, and enabled the first example of catalytic peptide coupling at room temperature.
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