Electrochemically-driven difunctionalization of the isocyanide and Mumm rearrangement cascade: expeditious synthesis of N-acyl-N-alkyl S-thiocarbamates

We describe the novel electrochemical multicomponent reaction (e-MCR) of readily available isocyanides, thiols and carboxylic acids to form N-substituted S-thiocarbamate derivatives that are found in several biologically active compounds. The effectiveness of the mu-electro flow reactor (mu-EFR) was showcased through significant reduction in electrolyte volume during the reaction, achieving gram-scale production of 4a within a short 12 min residence time using a Pt/Pt flow cell.