A molecular mediator for reductive concerted proton-electron transfers via electrocatalysis

Electrocatalytic approaches to the activation of unsaturated substrates via reductive concerted proton-electron transfer ( CPET) must overcome competing, often kinetically dominant hydrogen evolution. We introduce the design of a molecular mediator for electrochemically triggered reductive CPET through the synthetic integration of a Bronsted acid and a redox mediator. Cathodic reduction at the cobaltocenium redox mediator substantially weakens the homolytic nitrogen-hydrogen bond strength of a Bronsted acidic anilinium tethered to one of the cyclopentadienyl rings. The electrochemically generated molecular mediator is demonstrated to transform a model substrate, acetophenone, to its corresponding neutral a-radical via a rate-determining CPET.