A direct electrochemical amidation of xanthene was readily achieved under direct anodic
oxidation. The reactivity of benzamides was significantly enhanced by the virtue of
the solvent effect of hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP). An obvious hydrogen bonding between
HFIP and benzamide was detected, and the proton-coupled electron-transfer (PCET) effect
was proposed for the enhancement effect of HFIP. In this transformation, a broad range
of primary and secondary amides were readily used as amidating reagents, including
l-proline-, naproxen-, and probencid-derived amides. We proposed a plausible reaction
mechanism for this direct amidation based on the experimental observations.
Key words
electrochemical amidation - C(sp
3)–H - hexafluoroisopropanol