Carbon dioxide as a multifunctional regulator in electrochemical vicinal bromination.

CO2 enables efficient, chemoselective vicinal dibromination of N-H-containing amino acid-derived alkenes using NaBr under electrochemical conditions, with mechanistic roles including transient N–H protection.

• Why it matters: Efficient electrochemical dibromination with inexpensive bromine sources is still needed, especially for N-H substrates where oxidative conditions can trigger competing nitrogen reactions.
• What they did: The authors developed a CO2-mediated electrochemical strategy for vicinal dibromination of N-H-containing amino acid-derived alkenes and other functionalized alkenes using NaBr, supported by mechanistic studies.
• The result: Mechanistic evidence indicates CO2 cooperatively (i) transiently protects N-H groups, (ii) forms carbonic acid with water to replace conventional protic acids, and (iii) lowers bromide oxidation potential.

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