Continuous-flow electrosynthesis of selenium-substituted iminoisobenzofuran via oxidative cyclization of olefinic amides and diselenides.

A green and efficient approach for the synthesis of selenium-substituted iminoisobenzofuran using 2-vinylbenzamides and diselenides in a continuous electrochemical microreactor has been developed. This strategy enabled the preparation of a series of iminoisobenzofuran derivatives in moderate to good yields under metal-free and oxidant-free conditions. The application of the electrochemical flow system successfully overcomes the difficulty of process control in traditional electrochemistry and achieves efficient transformation of electricity. Moreover, the continuous-flow system combined with electrosynthesis overcomes the difficulty in realizing a scale-up reaction in conventional batch-type electrolysis.