Electrochemical Difunctionalization of Styrenes via Chemoselective Oxo-Azidation or Oxo-Hydroxyphthalimidation.

Atom- and step-economic oxo-azidation and oxo-hydroxyphthalimidation of styrenes have been developed under mild electrolytic conditions, respectively. Various valuable alpha-azido or hydroxyphthalimide aromatic ketones were synthesized efficiently from readily available styrenes, azides, and N-hydroxyphthalimides. Mechanism studies show that two different pathways involved in these two transformations.