Iodine Mediated Electrochemical Diastereoselective Synthesis of Enaminones

An efficient iodine-mediated electrochemical method for the synthesis of enaminones from thioamides and organic diazo compounds is reported. The transformation proceeds under mild and sustainable conditions, using electric current and avoiding the need for stoichiometric oxidants or metal catalysts. The developed protocol enables the direct coupling of tertiary thioamides with diazo esters and diazo ketones, providing a broad range of enaminones in moderate to very good yields. Importantly, the electrochemical process is readily scalable, demonstrating its practical potential. Overall, this work expands the synthetic utility of thioamides in electrosynthesis and provides a sustainable and cost-effective approach to enaminones, valuable building blocks in organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry.