Cyano- and phenyl-substituted propionic acids were synthesized simply and efficiently by electrocarboxylation of cinnamonitrile in undivided cells using the non-noble metal nickel as cathode and magnesium as the anode. The radical anion generated by the electroreduction of cinnamonitrile in the absence of CO2 is involved in several competitive reactions that lead to the formation of linear hydrodimers, cyclic hydrodimers, saturated dihydro products, and glutaronitrile derivatives. While under 101.325 kPa of CO2, the electrocarboxylation could easily be carried out in the absence of additional catalysts, and with good yield (84.8%). The influence of various synthetic parameters, such as the nature of the electrode, the working potential, the concentration, and the temperature, on the electrocarboxylation reaction was investigated.
在以非贵金属镍为阴极、镁为阳极的非分裂电池中,通过对肉桂腈进行电羧化,简单而高效地合成了氰基和苯基取代的丙酸。在没有二氧化碳的情况下,肉桂腈电还原产生的自由基阴离子参与了几个竞争反应,从而形成线性氢二聚体、环状氢二聚体、饱和二氢产物和戊二腈衍生物。在二氧化碳压力为 101.325 千帕的条件下,电羧化反应可以在不使用额外催化剂的情况下轻松进行,而且产率很高(84.8%)。研究还探讨了电极性质、工作电位、浓度和温度等各种合成参数对电羧化反应的影响。