Challenges in the selective manipulation of functional groups (chemoselectivity) in organic synthesis have historically been overcome either by using reagents/catalysts that tunably interact with a substrate or through modification to shield undesired sites of reactivity (protecting groups). Although electrochemistry offers precise redox control to achieve unique chemoselectivity, this approach often becomes challenging in the presence of multiple redox-active functionalities. Historically, electrosynthesis has been performed almost solely by using direct current (DC). In contrast, applying alternating current (AC) has been known to change reaction outcomes considerably on an analytical scale but has rarely been strategically exploited for use in complex preparative organic synthesis. Here we show how a square waveform employed to deliver electric currentrapid alternating polarity (rAP) enables control over reaction outcomes in the chemoselective reduction of carbonyl compounds, one of the most widely used reaction manifolds. The reactivity observed cannot be recapitulated using DC electrolysis or chemical reagents. The synthetic value brought by this new method for controlling chemoselectivity is vividly demonstrated in the context of classical reactivity problems such as chiral auxiliary removal and cutting-edge medicinal chemistry topics such as the synthesis of PROTACs.

The combined use of a halogen bond (XB) donor with trimethylsilyl halide was found to be an efficient cocatalytic system for the direct dehydroxylative coupling reaction of alcohol with various nucleophiles, such as allyltrimethylsilane and trimethylcyanide, to give the corresponding adduct in moderate to excellent yields. Detailed control experiments and mechanistic studies revealed that the XB interaction was crucial for the reaction. The application of this coupling reaction is also described.

The site-specific oxidation of strong C­(sp3)–H bonds is of uncontested utility in organic synthesis. From simplifying access to metabolites and late-stage diversification of lead compounds to truncating retrosynthetic plans, there is a growing need for new reagents and methods for achieving such a transformation in both academic and industrial circles. One main drawback of current chemical reagents is the lack of diversity with regard to structure and reactivity that prevents a combinatorial approach for rapid screening to be employed. In that regard, directed evolution still holds the greatest promise for achieving complex C–H oxidations in a variety of complex settings. Herein we present a rationally designed platform that provides a step toward this challenge using N-ammonium ylides as electrochemically driven oxidants for site-specific, chemoselective C­(sp3)–H oxidation. By taking a first-principles approach guided by computation, these new mediators were identified and rapidly expanded into a library using ubiquitous building blocks and trivial synthesis techniques. The ylide-based approach to C–H oxidation exhibits tunable selectivity that is often exclusive to this class of oxidants and can be applied to real-world problems in the agricultural and pharmaceutical sectors.

The umpolung alkylation of silyl enol ethers with an iodonium(III) ylide proceeds under mild conditions to afford various 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds in high yields in the presence of a halogen-bonding catalyst. Unlike typical transition-metal activation processes of such ylide precursors, which tend to proceed via carbenoid intermediates, experimental and computational studies indicate that halogen bonding (XB) between the XB donor catalyst and the iodonium ylide plays a crucial role in promoting the reaction. The identification of a compatible Bronsted base catalyst enabled the extension of this method to enols generated in situ to give the corresponding adducts in good yields.

A mild and chemoselective method for the thioacylation of amines using -ketoacids and elemental sulfur has been developed. The key to success for this transformation is the nucleophilic activation of elemental sulfur by thiols such as 1-dodecanethiol. A variety of functional groups, including unprotected hydroxyl, carboxyl, amide, sulfide, and tertiary amine moieties are tolerated under the applied reaction conditions. To demonstrate the advantages of this method compared to conventional O-S exchange reactions using Lawesson's reagent or P2S5, thioamide moieties were introduced sitespecifically into biologically active compounds.