α-Azidoketones are valuable and versatile building blocks in the synthesis of various bioactive small molecules. Herein, we describe an environmentally friendly and efficient electrochemical vicinal oxyazidation protocol of α-arylvinyl acetates to afford diverse α-azidoketones in good yields without the use of a stoichiometric amount of chemical oxidant. A range of functionality is shown to be compatible with this transformation, and further applications are demonstrated.

Green and sustainable electrochemistry, when coupled with catalysis, provides novel opportunities for synthetic organic chemists to reach the yet-untouched chemical space. This is also the case for electrochemistry-enabled asymmetric catalysis, which has been experiencing a dynamic development in recent years. This chapter highlights recent advances in the synergy of electrochemistry and asymmetric catalysis in organic synthesis.