Linear Paired Electrolysis Enabled Regioselective Hydroxyalkylation of Purine Derivatives and Nucleosides with Aldehydes.

A linear paired electrolysis strategy enables the highly regioselective C6-hydroxyalkylation of purine derivatives and nucleosides with aldehyde feedstocks in a redox-neutral manner. The reaction involves NHPI-mediated electrocatalytic HAT of aldehydes to generate acyl radicals, which subsequently undergo Minisci-type C-H acylation and cathodic reduction, establishing a practical platform for accessing structurally diverse C6-hydroxyalkylated purine derivatives. A combined divided-cell experiment aided the elucidation of a plausible reaction mechanism.