Enantioselective cobaltaelectro-catalyzed C–H activations enabled by hydrogen evolution

Despite the significant progress in enantioselective catalysis during the past decades, asymmetric redox transformations typically rely on costly transition metals as catalysts, along with the use of stoichiometric amounts of chemical redox agents. The exploitation of electrocatalysis in molecular synthesis represents a sustainable alternative towards value-added molecules through the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). We herein, describe strategies for enantioselective cobaltaelectro-catalyzed C–H activations that avoid superstoichiometric chemical oxidants. Thus, highly enantioselective C–H/N–H annulations of carboxylic amides were achieved giving access to point and axially chiral compounds. Furthermore, the cobalta-electrocatalysis enabled the preparation of various P-stereogenic compounds by selective desymmetrization through dehydrogenative C–H activation reactions. These examples show how the valuable HER can be coupled to versatile enantioselective electrocatalytic organic transformations leading to relevant molecular scaffolds.