Lam Research Group

Welcome

Welcome to our electrifying world of innovative chemistry! Our research is a deep dive into the potential of organic electrosynthesis, where we are  pioneering new strategies for synthesising highly reactive intermediates and revolutionising the way we understand and use electrochemistry. We're not just exploring the science, we're reshaping it, using cutting-edge approaches such as flow electrochemistry and pushing the boundaries of medicinal electrosynthesis. Join us on this journey of discovery and innovation as we unlock new potential and redefine the boundaries of chemistry.

Recent Publications

eFluorination: carbamoyl fluorides

In this letter, we disclose the anodic oxidation of oxamic acids in the presence of Et3N·3HF as a practical, scalable, and robust method to rapidly access carbamoyl fluorides from readily available and stable precursors. The simplicity of this method also led us to develop the first flow electrochemical preparation of carbamoyl fluorides, demonstrating scale-up feasibility as a proof of concept.

In this letter, we disclose the anodic oxidation of oxamic acids in the presence of Et3N·3HF as a practical, scalable, and robust method to rapidly access carbamoyl fluorides from readily available and stable precursors. The simplicity of this method also led us to develop the first flow electrochemical preparation of carbamoyl fluorides, demonstrating scale-up feasibility as a proof of concept.

eEtherification: An Electrochemical Strategy toward the Synthesis of Sterically Hindered Dialkyl Ethers from Activated Alcohols

eFluorination for the Rapid Synthesis of Fluorothioformates from Oxalic Acid Monothioesters

An efficient and practical electrochemical method for synthesizing fluorothioformate derivatives, an underexplored functional group, is reported. The strategy is based on the anodic decarboxylation of oxalic acid monothioesters, which rapidly generates highly reactive alkyl (oxomethylidene)sulfonium intermediates.

eSpiro: A scalable and sustainable electrosynthetic route to spiroketals via anodic oxidation of malonic acids

Here, we present eSpiro, a novel electrosynthetic method for the efficient and sustainable synthesis of spiroketals via anodic oxidation of malonic acids. This approach offers a metal- and mercury-free alternative to conventional acid-catalysed or transition metal-mediated cyclisations.