# Electrochemistry Facilitates the Chemoselectivity of Benzylic Alcohol Oxidations Mediated by Flavin-Based Photoredox Catalysis

## TL;DR

This paper introduces an electrochemical method to improve the selectivity of alcohol oxidation in chemical reactions.

## Contribution

The novel approach uses electrochemical regeneration of a flavin catalyst to avoid overoxidation.

## Key findings

- Electrochemical regeneration prevents overoxidation to carboxylic acids.
- The method works for both primary and secondary benzylic alcohols.
- Oxidation-sensitive groups like methyl and pinacolboryl are tolerated.

## Abstract

The use of oxygen for catalyst regeneration in photoredox
catalysis
causes selectivity problems, because the generation of reactive oxygen
species initiates overoxidations and side oxidations. Herein, we present
a system using the electrochemical regeneration of a flavin catalyst
under inert conditions. Our process allows the chemoselective oxidation
of primary and secondary benzylic alcohols to carbonyl compounds without
unwanted overoxidation to carboxylic acids. The method tolerates other
oxidation-sensitive groups such as methyl, methylsulfanyl, or pinacolboryl
groups.