Abstract
Electrohydrocyclization (EHC) refers to those processes which undergo an electrochemically promoted reductive cyclization leading to the formation of a new sigma bond between the beta-carbons of alpha, beta-unsaturated esters or nitriles. Moens, Baizer, and Little reported the use of an EHC reaction as the key step in the total synthesis of the natural product 1-sterpurene.1 Nickel-salen compounds have been shown as effective electron transfer agents in mediated electrohydrocyclization reactions.2 Experimental and computational methods have provided evidence that electron transfer occurs primarily through an inner-sphere process, implying the existence of a ligand-centered radical anion as the electron transfer agent.3