Electroorganic Chemistry; 145:1Coupling Reaction of an Olefin with a Radical NO3 ·Generated by Anodic Oxidation of NO3 -

When NO- 3 is electrochemically oxidized in the presence of a variety of terminal and 1,2-disubstituted olefins 1 in a mixed solvent system (MeCN: H2O: Et2O = 10: 2:1), a radical NO3 is generated from NO- 3 and nitrate esters 3 are formed by a new coupling reaction of the olefin with the radical. The products 3 can be further transformed into the corresponding alcohols 4 and alkyl iodides 5. Under the same reaction conditions, 1,1-di- and 1,1,2-trisubstituted olefins 6 do not give nitrate esters but afford oxazoline derivatives 7. (1S,5S)-(-)-ß-Pinene (13) is diastereoselectively transformed into (1S,2R,5S)-(-)-myrtanol (14) by this technique.