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Electrosynthesis to convert aromatic C–H bonds to aryl amines

An electrochemical method for forming C–N bonds has been developed that proceeds through oxidation of amines to reactive nitrogen radicals. This strategy expands the accessibility of potentially bioactive aryl amines as it can be used to selectively aminate electron-poor aromatics — a challenge in many aromatic C–H functionalizations.

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Fig. 1: Existing methods for the construction of aromatic C–N bonds directly from aromatic C–H bonds and our electrochemical approach.

References

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This is a summary of: Stewart, G. et al. Electrochemical oxidation enables aromatic C–H amination with dual mechanisms. Nat. Synth. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44160-025-00890-9 (2025).

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Electrosynthesis to convert aromatic C–H bonds to aryl amines. Nat. Synth 5, 10–11 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44160-025-00891-8

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