Inside Cover: Efficient and Stereodivergent Electrochemical Synthesis of Optically Pure Menthylamines (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 24/2011)

Abstract

The choice of cathodic material determines which epimer of menthylamine is preferentially formed in a stereodivergent electroorganic synthesis. As S. R. Waldvogel and co-workers report in their Communication on page 5564 ff., Hg cathodes provide selective access to (−)-menthylamine, whereas a decorated Pb cathode directs the formation of (M+)-neomenthylamine. A protective “glove” consisting of cationic additives controls the stereoselectivity, allows quantitative conversion, and avoids corrosion of the cathode.