Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry (Sep 2022)

A one-pot electrochemical synthesis of 2-aminothiazoles from active methylene ketones and thioureas mediated by NH4I

  • Shang-Feng Yang,
  • Pei Li,
  • Zi-Lin Fang,
  • Sen Liang,
  • Hong-Yu Tian,
  • Bao-Guo Sun,
  • Kun Xu,
  • Cheng-Chu Zeng

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3762/bjoc.18.130
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18, no. 1
pp. 1249 – 1255

Abstract

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The electrochemical preparation of 2-aminothiazoles has been achieved by the reaction of active methylene ketones with thioureas assisted by ᴅʟ-alanine using NH4I as a redox mediator. The electrochemical protocol proceeds in an undivided cell equipped with graphite plate electrodes under constant current conditions. Various active methylene ketones, including β-keto ester, β-keto amide, β-keto nitrile, β-keto sulfone and 1,3-diketones, can be converted to the corresponding 2-aminothiazoles. Mechanistically, the in situ generated α-iodoketone was proposed to be the key active species.

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