Electrochemical oxidation of abietanes

Colophony, a natural resin obtained from conifer species, is constituted by a group of diterpenes known as abietanes, which, along with its derivatives, has been found to have a wide variety of interesting biological activities, including the antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumoral, and anti-inflammatory activities.

The benzylic oxidation of dehydroabietic acid, an abietane from colophony, and its methyl ester derivative, has been reported using oxidative protocols, such as methyltrioxo-rhenium/ H₂O₂/pyridine or iodine in aqueous KHCO₃.

Herein, we developed an alternative greener protocol for the formation of the benzylic ketone in very good yields using modern electrochemical methods.