Aerobic Electrochemical Transformations of DDT to Oxygen-Incorporated Products Catalyzed by a B₁₂ Derivative

Electrochemical transformations of DDT into oxygen-incorporated products, amides and esters, catalyzed by a B₁₂ derivative, heptamethyl cobyrinate perchlorate, have been developed under aerobic conditions. The dechlorinative oxygenation of DDT forms the acyl chloride as an intermediate for the synthesis of the amide and ester in the reaction with the amine and alcohol, respectively. This electrochemical method demonstrated with 20 oxygen-incorporated dechlorinated products up to 88% yields with 15 new compounds and was also successfully applied to the conversion of methoxychlor to an amide and ester.