β-Amino Acid Synthesis Using the CO2 Radical Anion under Electrochemical and Photochemical Conditions

The development of sustainable and efficient routes to β- and γ-amino acids is urgent due to their pivotal importance in pharmaceuticals and materials science. This study presents a novel approach utilizing the CO2 radical anion as a key inter-mediate for the synthesis of β- and γ-amino acids from N-Ac-enamides and N-Ac-allylamines, respectively. Both electro-chemical and photochemical techniques were employed to generate the CO2 radical anion under mild and environmentally friendly conditions. The feasibility of the synthesis of β-amino acids was confirmed through an automated reaction path search using the AFIR method. This work highlights the potential of CO2 as a versatile building block in organic synthesis and provides a sustainable alternative to conventional methods for producing β- and γ-amino acids.