Acyl Radicals via Electrochemistry: Generation, Synthetic Applications, and Outlook

Acyl radicals are indispensable intermediates in organic synthesis, playing a central role in the construction of carbonylcontaining compounds. In recent years, electrochemistry has emerged as a sustainable and robust platform for producing these reactive species. This strategy employs widely available precursors-including α-ketoacids, acylhydrazines, and aldehydesto efficiently generate acyl radicals under mild, external oxidant-free conditions, which represents a significant improvement over traditional synthetic methods. This review systematically summarizes the progress made in this rapidly evolving field, with a particular focus on developments reported since 2023. The content is organized into three main sections according to precursor type, with critical evaluations of substrate scope alongside mechanistic insights. We also discuss unsuccessful examples to provide readers with a balanced understanding of the current methodological limitations. Finally, we outline the remaining challenges and offer perspectives on promising future directions in this area. 1 Introduction 2 Electrochemical generation of acyl radicals from αketoacids 3 Electrochemical generation of acyl radicals from aldehydes 4 Electrochemical generation of acyl radicals from acylhydrazines 5 Conclusion