Paired Electrochemical Decarboxylative Amidation of α-Ketoacids With Nitroarenes.

We report a paired electrochemical decarboxylative amidation of α-ketoacids with nitroarenes for the direct synthesis of N-aryl amides. Ferrocene-mediated anodic decarboxylation generates acyl radicals, while cathodic reduction of nitroarenes enables the in situ generation of reactive nitrogen-containing intermediates, thereby providing a direct route to C─N bond formation without preforming aniline coupling partners. The transformation proceeds under mild, transition-metal-catalyst-free conditions without stoichiometric chemical oxidants or reductants. A broad range of α-ketoacids and nitroarenes are compatible with the reaction, affording the corresponding N-aryl amides with excellent functional-group tolerance. Mechanistic studies support the involvement of acyl and nitrogen-containing intermediates in the amidation process.