Syntheses of substituted anilines primarily rely on palladium-catalyzed coupling chemistry with prefunctionalized aryl electrophiles. While oxidative aminations have emerged as powerful alternatives, they largely produce undesired metal-containing by-products in stoichiometric quantities. In contrast, described herein is the unprecedented electrochemical C-H amination by cobalt-catalyzed C-H activation. The environmentally benign electrocatalysis avoids stoichiometric metal oxidants, can be conducted under ambient air, and employs a biomass-derived, renewable solvent for sustainable aminations in an atom- and step-economical manner with H as the sole byproduct.

Electrochemical oxidative C-H/N-H activations have been accomplished with a versatile cobalt catalyst in terms of [4 + 2] annulations of internal alkynes. The electro-oxidative C-H activation manifold proved viable with an undivided cell setup under exceedingly mild reaction conditions at room temperature using earth-abundant cobalt catalysts. The electrochemical cobalt catalysis prevents the use of transition metal oxidants in C-H activation catalysis, generating H as the sole byproduct. Detailed mechanistic studies provided strong support for a facile C-H cobaltation by an initially formed cobalt(III) catalyst. The subsequent alkyne migratory insertion was interrogated by mass spectrometry and DFT calculations, providing strong support for a facile C-H activation and the formation of a key seven-membered cobalta(III) cycle in a regioselective fashion. Key to success for the unprecedented use of internal alkynes in electrochemical C-H/N-H activations was represented by the use of N-2-pyridylhydrazides, for which we developed a traceless electrocleavage strategy by electroreductive samarium catalysis at room temperature.

Twofold C-H functionalization of aromatic sulfonic acids was achieved with an in situ generated ruthenium(II) catalyst. The optimized cross-dehydrogenative alkenylation protocol proved applicable to differently substituted arenes and a variety of alkenes, including vinyl arenes, sulfones, nitriles and ketones. The robustness of the ruthenium(II) catalyst was demonstrated by the chemoselective oxidative olefination of sulfonamides as well as sulfonyl chlorides. Mechanistic studies provided support for a reversible, acetate-assisted C-H ruthenation, along with a subsequent olefin insertion.

Cobalt-catalyzed C–H activation by means of oxazolinyl assistance set the stage for versatile direct amidations with ample substrate scope. Thus, a high-valent cobalt­(III) catalyst enabled C–H amidations with excellent levels of positional and chemo-selectivities. Mechanistic studies provided strong support for a kinetically relevant C–H functionalization.

Cp*-free cobalt-catalyzed alkyne annulations by C-H/N-H functionalizations were accomplished with molecular O2 as the sole oxidant. The user-friendly oxidase strategy proved viable with various internal and terminal alkynes through kinetically relevant C-H cobaltation, providing among others step-economical access to the anticancer topoisomerase-I inhibitor 21,22-dimethoxyrosettacin. DFT calculations suggest that electronic effects control the regioselectivity of the alkyne insertion step.

The manganese-catalyzed cyanation of inert C-H bonds was achieved within a heterobimetallic catalysis regime. The manganese(I) catalysis proved widely applicable and enabled C-H cyanations on indoles, pyrroles and thiophenes by facile C-H manganesation. The robustness of the manganese catalyst set the stage for the racemization-free C-H cyanation of amino acids with excellent levels of positional and chemo selectivity by the new cyanating agent NCFS. Experimental and computational mechanistic studies provided strong support for a synergistic heterobimetallic activation mode, facilitating the key C-C formation.

An efficient electro-oxidative C−H/N−H activation with 1,3-diynes has been achieved with a robust earth-abundant cobalt catalyst. The electrochemical C−H functionalization was accomplished with ample scope and remarkable functional group compatibility in a simple undivided cell. This protocol avoids the utilization of stoichiometric and cost-intensive chemical oxidants in C−H activation, thus forming hydrogen as the only byproduct.

Electrooxidative peri-C–H activation was accomplished by versatile ruthenium(ii) catalysis in terms of C–H/N–H and C–H/O–H functionalization. The sustainable electrocatalysis exploited electricity, thereby avoiding the use of toxic transition metals as sacrificial oxidants.