Electrochemically driven desaturation of carbonyl compounds

Versatile dehydrogenation of carbonyls enabled by an iodine(III) reagent

We report the utilisation of an iodine(III) reagent to access α,β-unsaturated carbonyls from the corresponding silyl enol ethers of ketones and aldehydes, and from enol phosphates of lactones and lactams. The transformation is rapid, scalable, and can be carried out in one pot, directly dehydrogenating saturated carbonyls.

Rational Design of Highly Phosphorescent Nanoclusters for Efficient Photocatalytic Oxidation

Analyzing the molecular structure-photophysical property correlations of metal nanoclusters to accomplish function-oriented photocatalysis could be challenging. Here, the selective heteroatom alloying has been exploited to a Au15 nanocluster, making up a structure-correlated nanocluster series, including homogold Au15, bimetallic AgxAu15-x and CuxAu15-x, trimetallic AgxCuyAu15-x-y, and tetrametallic Pt1AgxCuyAu15-x-y. Their structure-dependent photophysical properties were investigated due to the atomically precise structures of these nanoclusters. Cu-alloyed CuxAu15-x showed intense phosphorescence and the highest singlet oxygen production efficiency. Moreover, the generation of 1O2 species from excited nanoclusters enabled CuxAu15-x as a suitable catalyst for efficient photocatalytic oxidation of silyl enol ethers to produce α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. The generality and applicability of the CuxAu15-x catalysts toward different photocatalytic oxidations were assessed. Overall, this study presents an intriguing Au15-based cluster series enabling an atomic-level understanding of structure-photophysical property correlations, which hopefully provides guidance for the fabrication of cluster-based catalysts with customized photocatalytic performance.

Tandem dehydrogenation-olefination-decarboxylation of cycloalkyl carboxylic acids via multifold C-H activation

Dehydrogenation chemistry has long been established as a fundamental aspect of organic synthesis, commonly encountered in carbonyl compounds. Transition metal catalysis revolutionized it, with strategies like transfer-dehydrogenation, single electron transfer and C-H activation. These approaches, extended to multiple dehydrogenations, can lead to aromatization. Dehydrogenative transformations of aliphatic carboxylic acids pose challenges, yet engineered ligands and metal catalysis can initiate dehydrogenation via C-H activation, though outcomes vary based on substrate structures. Herein, we have developed a catalytic system enabling cyclohexane carboxylic acids to undergo multifold C-H activation to furnish olefinated arenes, bypassing lactone formation. This showcases unique reactivity in aliphatic carboxylic acids, involving tandem dehydrogenation-olefination-decarboxylation-aromatization sequences, validated by control experiments and key intermediate isolation. For cyclopentane carboxylic acids, reluctant to aromatization, the catalytic system facilitates controlled dehydrogenation, providing difunctionalized cyclopentenes through tandem dehydrogenation-olefination-decarboxylation-allylic acyloxylation sequences. This transformation expands carboxylic acids into diverse molecular entities with wide applications, underscoring its importance.

Accessing Z-Enynes via Cobalt-Catalyzed Propargylic Dehydrogenation

Alkenes constitute an enabling motif in organic synthesis, as they can be functionalized to form highly substituted molecules. Z-alkenes are generally challenging to access due to the thermodynamic preference for the formation of E-alkenes compared to Z-alkenes. Dehydrogenation methodologies to selectively form Z-alkenes have not yet been reported. Herein, we report a Z-selective, propargylic dehydrogenation that provides 1,3-enynes through the invention of a Co-catalyzed oxidation system. Observation of a kinetic isotope effect (KIE) revealed that deprotonation of the propargylic position is the rate limiting step. Additionally, isomerization experiments were conducted and confirmed that the observed Z-selectivity is a kinetic effect. A proposed stereomechanistic model for the Z-selectivity is included.

A facile synthesis of α,β-unsaturated imines via palladium-catalyzed dehydrogenation

The dehydrogenation adjacent to an electron-withdrawing group provides an efficient access to α,β-unsaturated compounds that serving as versatile synthons in organic chemistry. However, the α,β-desaturation of aliphatic imines has hitherto proven to be challenging due to easy hydrolysis and preferential dimerization. Herein, by employing a pre-fluorination and palladium-catalyzed dehydrogenation reaction sequence, the abundant simple aliphatic amides are amendable to the rapid construction of complex molecular architectures to produce α,β-unsaturated imines. Mechanistic investigations reveal a Pd(0)/Pd(II) catalytic cycle involving oxidative H-F elimination of N-fluoroamide followed by a smooth α,β-desaturation of the in-situ generated aliphatic imine intermediate. This protocol exhibits excellent functional group tolerance, and even the carbonyl groups are compatible without any competing dehydrogenation, allowing for late-stage functionalization of complex bioactive molecules. The synthetic utility of this transformation has been further demonstrated by a diversity-oriented derivatization and a concise formal synthesis of (±)-alloyohimbane.

Comprehensive Mechanistic Analysis of Palladium- and Nickel-Catalyzed α,β-Dehydrogenation of Carbonyls via Organozinc Intermediates

Introducing degrees of unsaturation into small molecules is a central transformation in organic synthesis. A strategically useful category of this reaction type is the conversion of alkanes into alkenes for substrates with an adjacent electron-withdrawing group. An efficient strategy for this conversion has been deprotonation to form a stabilized organozinc intermediate that can be subjected to α,β-dehydrogenation through palladium or nickel catalysis. This general reactivity blueprint presents a window to uncover and understand the reactivity of Pd- and Ni-enolates. Within this context, it was determined that β-hydride elimination is slow and proceeds via concerted syn-elimination. One interesting finding is that β-hydride elimination can be preferred to a greater extent than C-C bond formation for Ni, more so than with Pd, which defies the generally assumed trends that β-hydride elimination is more facile with Pd than Ni. The discussion of these findings is informed by KIE experiments, DFT calculations, stoichiometric reactions, and rate studies. Additionally, this report details an in-depth analysis of a methodological manifold for practical dehydrogenation and should enable its application to challenges in organic synthesis.

Hydrogen Atom Transfer (HAT)-Mediated Remote Desaturation Enabled by Fe/Cr-H Cooperative Catalysis

An iron/chromium system (Fe(OAc)2, CpCr(CO)3H) catalyzes the preparation of β,γ- or γ,δ-unsaturated amides from 1,4,2-dioxazol-5-ones. An acyl nitrenoid iron complex seems likely to be responsible for C-H activation. A cascade of three H• transfer steps appears to be involved: (i) the abstraction of H• from a remote C-H bond by the nitrenoid N, (ii) the transfer of H• from Cr to N, and (iii) the abstraction of H• from a radical substituent by the Cr•. The observed kinetic isotope effects are consistent with the proposed mechanism if nitrenoid formation is the rate-determining step. The Fe/Cr catalysts can also desaturate substituted 1,4,2-dioxazol-5-ones to 3,5-dienamides.

Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Alkanes through Homogeneous Base Metal Catalysis

Preparing valuable olefins from cheap and abundant alkane resources has long been a challenging task in organic synthesis, which mainly suffers from harsh reaction conditions and narrow scopes. Homogeneous transition metals catalyzed dehydrogenation of alkanes has attracted much attention for its excellent catalytic activities under relatively milder conditions. Among them, base metal catalyzed oxidative alkane dehydrogenation has emerged as a viable strategy for olefin synthesis for its usage of cheap catalysts, compatibility with various functional groups, and low reaction temperature. In this review, we discuss recent development of base metal catalyzed alkane dehydrogenation under oxidative conditions and their application in constructing complex molecules.

Photochemical Desaturation and Epoxidation with Oxygen by Sequential Flavin Catalysis

Catalytic desaturations are important strategies for the functionalization of organic molecules. In nature, flavoenzymes mediate the formation of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds by concomitant cofactor reduction. Contrary to many laboratory methods for these reactions, such as the Saegusa-Ito oxidation, no transition metal reagents or catalysts are required. However, a molecular flavin-mediated variant has not been reported so far. We disclose a photochemical approach for silyl enol ether oxidation, which leads to α,β-unsaturated ketones (13 examples) in very good yields. The flavin catalysts are stable throughout the desaturation reaction, and we successfully applied them in a subsequent aerobic epoxidation by simply changing the reaction conditions. This protocol allowed us to directly convert silyl enol ethers into α,β-epoxyketones in a one-pot fashion (12 examples). Sequential flavin catalysis is not limited to one specific reactivity combination and can, inter alia, couple the photochemical oxidation with radical additions. We anticipate that flavin-catalyzed desaturation will be applicable to other substrate classes and that its sequential catalytic activity will enable rapid substrate diversification.

Electrochemical Late-Stage Functionalization

Late-stage functionalization (LSF) constitutes a powerful strategy for the assembly or diversification of novel molecular entities with improved physicochemical or biological activities. LSF can thus greatly accelerate the development of medicinally relevant compounds, crop protecting agents, and functional materials. Electrochemical molecular synthesis has emerged as an environmentally friendly platform for the transformation of organic compounds. Over the past decade, electrochemical late-stage functionalization (eLSF) has gained major momentum, which is summarized herein up to February 2023.

Synthesis of β,γ-Unsaturated Aliphatic Acids via Ligand-Enabled Dehydrogenation

α,β-Dehydrogenation of aliphatic acids has been realized through both enolate and β-C-H metalation pathways. However, the synthesis of isolated β,γ-unsaturated aliphatic acids via dehydrogenation has not been achieved to date. Herein, we report the ligand-enabled β,γ-dehydrogenation of abundant and inexpensive free aliphatic acids, which provides a new synthetic disconnection as well as a versatile platform for the downstream functionalization of complex molecules at remote γ-sites. A variety of free aliphatic acids, including acyclic and cyclic systems with ring sizes from five-membered to macrocyclic, undergo efficient dehydrogenation. Notably, this protocol features good chemoselectivity in the presence of more accessible α-C-H bonds and excellent regioselectivity in fused bicyclic scaffolds. The utility of this protocol has been demonstrated by the late-stage functionalization of a series of bioactive terpene natural products at the γ-sites. Further functionalization of the β,γ-double bond allows for the installation of covalent warheads, including epoxides, aziridines, and β-lactones, into complex natural product scaffolds, which are valuable for targeted covalent drug discovery.

Copper-Catalyzed Intramolecular Olefinic C(sp2)-H Amidation for the Synthesis of γ-Alkylidene-γ-lactams

Herein, we report the copper-catalyzed dehydrogenative C(sp2)-N bond formation of 4-pentenamides via nitrogen-centered radicals. This reaction provides a straightforward and efficient preparation method for γ-alkylidene-γ-lactams. Notably, we could controllably synthesize α,β-unsaturated- or α,β-saturated-γ-alkylidene-γ-lactams depending on the reaction conditions.

Direct Regioselective Dehydrogenation of α-Substituted Cyclic Ketones

We disclose a highly regioselective, catalytic one-step dehydrogenation of α-substituted cyclic ketones in the presence of 2,3-dichlorobenzo-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ). The high regioselectivity originates from a phosphoric acid-catalyzed enolization, selectively affording the thermodynamically preferred enol, followed by the subsequent oxidation event. Our method provides reliable access to several α-aryl and α-alkyl substituted α,β-unsaturated ketones.

Electrochemically Enabled Total Syntheses of Natural Products

Electrochemical techniques have helped to enable the total synthesis of natural products since the pioneering work of Kolbe in the mid 1800's. The electrochemical toolset grows every day and these new possibilities change the way chemists look at and think about natural products. This review provides a perspective on total syntheses wherein electrochemical techniques enabled the carbon─carbon bond formations in the skeletal assembly of important natural products, discussion of mechanistic details, and representative examples of the bond formations enabled over the last several decades. These bond formations are often distinctly different from those possible with conventional chemistries and allow assemblies complementary to other techniques.

Three-Component Electrochemical Aminoselenation of 1,3-Dienes

Azoles and organoselenium compounds are pharmacologically important scaffolds in medicinal chemistry and natural products. We developed an efficient regioselective electrochemical aminoselenation reaction of 1,3-dienes, azoles, and diselenide derivatives to access selenium-containing allylazoles skeletons. This protocol is more economical and environmentally friendly and features a broad substrate scope; pyrazole, triazole, and tetrazolium were all tolerated under the standard conditions, which could be applied to the expedient synthesis of bioactive molecules and in the pharmaceutical industry.

Site-Selective Electrochemical C-H Carboxylation of Arenes with CO2

Herein, a direct, metal-free, and site-selective electrochemical C-H carboxylation of arenes by reductive activation using CO₂ as the economic and abundant carboxylic source was reported. The electrocarboxylation was carried out in an operationally simple manner with high chemo- and regioselectivity, setting the stage for the challenging site-selective C-H carboxylation of unactivated (hetero)arenes. The robust nature of the electrochemical strategy was reflected by a broad scope of substrates with excellent atom economy and unique selectivity. Notably, the direct and selective C-H carboxylation of various challenging arenes worked well in this approach, including electron-deficient naphthalenes, pyridines, simple phenyl derivatives, and substituted quinolines. The method benefits from being externally catalyst-free, metal-free and base-free, which makes it extremely attractive for potential applications.

Intertwining Olefin Thianthrenation with Kornblum/Ganem Oxidations: Ene-type Oxidation to Furnish α,β-Unsaturated Carbonyls

A widely applicable, practical, and scalable synthetic method for efficient ene-type double oxidation of alkenes is reported via a two-step alkenyl thianthrenium umpolung/Kornblum-Ganem oxidation strategy. This chemo- and stereoselective procedure allows easy access to various α,β-unsaturated carbonyls that may be otherwise difficult or cumbersome to synthesize by conventional methods. For α-olefins, this metal-free transformation can be tuned according to synthetic needs to produce either the elusive (Z)-unsaturated aldehydes or their (E) counterparts. Moreover, this strategy has enabled streamlined synthesis of distinct butadienyl pheromones and kairomones.

Electrochemical sulfinylation of phenols with sulfides: a metal- and oxidant-free cross-coupling for the synthesis of aromatic sulfoxides

The site-selective C-H functionalization of arenes is of indisputable importance in organic chemistry. Herein, we have demonstrated an electrochemical regioselective oxidative cross-coupling towards the direct C(sp²)-H sulfinylation of phenols with sulfides under mild reaction conditions. The designed methodology furnished aryl sulfoxides in good to moderate yields under exogenous metal and oxidant-free conditions. Moreover, the exploitation of traceless electrons to carry out the tandem site-selective oxidative aryl chalcogenation is the striking feature of this methodology.

Selective desaturation of amides: a direct approach to enamides

C(sp3)-H bond desaturation has been an attractive strategy in organic synthesis. Enamides are important structural fragments in pharmaceuticals and versatile synthons in organic synthesis. However, the dehydrogenation of amides usually occurs on the acyl side benefitting from enolate chemistry like the desaturation of ketones and esters. Herein, we demonstrate an Fe-assisted regioselective oxidative desaturation of amides, which provides an efficient approach to enamides and β-halogenated enamides.

Cobalt-electrocatalytic HAT for functionalization of unsaturated C-C bonds

The study and application of transition metal hydrides (TMHs) has been an active area of chemical research since the early 1960s1, for energy storage, through the reduction of protons to generate hydrogen2,3, and for organic synthesis, for the functionalization of unsaturated C-C, C-O and C-N bonds4,5. In the former instance, electrochemical means for driving such reactivity has been common place since the 1950s6 but the use of stoichiometric exogenous organic- and metal-based reductants to harness the power of TMHs in synthetic chemistry remains the norm. In particular, cobalt-based TMHs have found widespread use for the derivatization of olefins and alkynes in complex molecule construction, often by a net hydrogen atom transfer (HAT)7. Here we show how an electrocatalytic approach inspired by decades of energy storage research can be made use of in the context of modern organic synthesis. This strategy not only offers benefits in terms of sustainability and efficiency but also enables enhanced chemoselectivity and distinct, tunable reactivity. Ten different reaction manifolds across dozens of substrates are exemplified, along with detailed mechanistic insights into this scalable electrochemical entry into Co-H generation that takes place through a low-valent intermediate.

Flash Synthesis and Continuous Production of C-Arylglycosides in a Flow Electrochemical Reactor

Electrochemistry provides a green and atom-efficient route to synthesize pharmaceutical and useful functional molecules, as it eliminates the need for the harsh chemical oxidants and reductants commonly used in traditional chemical reactions. To promote the implementation of electrochemical processes in the industry, there is a strong demand for the development of technologies that would allow for scale-up and a shortened reaction process time. Herein, we report that electrolysis was successfully accomplished using a flow-divided-electrochemical reactor within a few seconds, enabling the desired chemical conversion in a short period of time. Moreover, the narrow electrode gap of the flow reactor, which offers greener conditions than the conventional batch reactor, resulted in the continuous flash synthesis of C-arylglycosides.

Progress in the Electrochemical Reactions of Sulfonyl Compounds

Electrosynthesis has recently attracted more and more attention due to its great potential to replace chemical oxidants or reductants in molecule-electrode electron transfer. Sulfonyl compounds such as sulfonyl hydrazides, sulfinic acids (and their salts), sulfonyl halides have been discovered as practical precursors of several radicals. As electrochemical redox reactions can provide green and efficient pathways for the activation of sulfonyl compounds, studies for electrosynthesis have rapidly increased. Several types of radicals can be generated from anodic oxidation or cathodic reduction of sulfonyl compounds and can initiate fluoroalkylation, benzenesulfonylation, cyclization or rearrangement. In this Review, we summarize the electrosynthesis developments involving sulfonyl compounds mainly in the last decade.

Electrocatalytic Isomerization of Allylic Alcohols: Straightforward Preparation of β-Aryl-Ketones

Electrochemical synthesis has been rapidly developing over the past few years. Here, we report a practical and eco-friendly electrocatalytic isomerization of allylic alcohols to their corresponding carbonyl compounds. This reaction can be carried out in undivided cells without the addition of external chemical oxidants and metal catalysts. Moreover, this reaction features a broad substrate scope including challenging allylic alcohols bearing tri- and tetra-substituted olefins and affords straightforward access to diverse β-aryl-ketones. Mechanistic investigations suggest that the reactions proceed through a radical process. This study represents a unique example in which electrochemistry enables hydrogen atom transfer in organic allylic alcohol substrates using a simple organocatalyst.

Electrochemically Mediated Oxidation of Sensitive Propargylic Benzylic Alcohols

The electrochemical oxidation of sensitive propargylic benzylic alcohols having varying substituents is reported. We describe the preparation and characterization of N-hydroxytetrafluorophthalimide (TFNHPI) and pseudo-high-throughput development of a green electrochemical oxidation protocol for sensitive propargylic benzylic alcohols that employs TFNHPI as a stable electrochemical mediator. The electrochemical oxidation of propargylic benzylic alcohols was leveraged to develop short synthetic pathways for preparing gram quantities of resveratrol natural products such as pauciflorols.

Electrochemical Cross-Dehydrogenative Aromatization Protocol for the Synthesis of Aromatic Amines

The introduction of amines onto aromatics without metal catalysts and chemical oxidants is synthetically challenging. Herein, we report the first example of an electrochemical cross-dehydrogenative aromatization (ECDA) reaction of saturated cyclohexanones and amines to construct anilines without additional metal catalysts and chemical oxidants. This reaction exhibits a broad scope of cyclohexanones including heterocyclic ketones, affording a variety of aromatic amines with various functionalities, and shows great potential in the synthesis of biologically active compounds.

Insertion of ammonia into alkenes to build aromatic N-heterocycles

Ammonia is one of the most abundant and simple nitrogen sources with decent stability and reactivity. Direct insertion of ammonia into a carbon skeleton is an ideal approach to building valuable N-heterocycles for extensive applications with unprecedented atom and step economy. Here, we show an electrochemical dehydrogenative method in which ammonia is inserted directly into alkenes to build aromatic N-heterocycles in a single step without the use of any external oxidant. This new approach achieves 98–99.2% atom economy with hydrogen as the only byproduct. Quinoline and pyridine with diverse substitutions are readily available. In this work, electrochemistry was used to drive a 4-electron oxidation reaction that is hard to access by other protocols, providing a parallel pathway to nitrene chemistry. In a tandem transformation that included three distinct electrochemical processes, the insertion of ammonia further showcased the tremendous potential to manipulate heterocycles derived from Hantzsch ester to diazine via pyridine and pyrrole.

Aromatic heterocycles containing nitrogen are ubiquitous in biologically relevant small molecules. Here the authors show an unorthodox methodology for their synthesis, by inserting the nitrogen atom into a carbon ring, with ammonia in electrochemical conditions.

Revisiting Thin-Layer Electrochemistry in a Chip-Type Cell for the Study of Electro-organic Reactions

It is important but challenging to elucidate the electrochemical reaction mechanisms of organic compounds using electroanalytical methods. Particularly, a rapid and straightforward method that provides information on reaction intermediates or other key electrochemical parameters may be useful. In this work, we exploited the advantages of classic thin-layer electrochemistry to develop a thin-layer electroanalysis microchip (TEAM). The TEAM provided better-resolved voltammetric peaks than under semi-infinite diffusion conditions owing to its small height. Importantly, rapid and accurate determination of the number of electrons transferred, n, was enabled by mechanically confining the microliter-scale volume analyte at the electrode, while securing ionic conduction using polyelectrolyte gels. The performance of the TEAM was validated using voltammetry and coulometry of standard redox couples. Utilizing the TEAM, a (spectro)electrochemical analysis of FM 1-43, an organic dye widely used in neuroscience, was successfully performed. Moreover, the TEAM was applied to study the electrochemical oxidation mechanism of pivanilides and alkyltrifluoroborate salts with different substituents and solvents. This work suggests that TEAM is a promising tool to provide invaluable mechanistic information and promote the rational design of electrosynthetic strategies.

Electrochemical Desaturative β-Acylation of Cyclic N-Aryl Amines

Herein, we disclose a straightforward, robust, and simple route to access β-substituted desaturated cyclic amines via an electrochemically driven desaturative β-functionalization of cyclic amines. This transformation is based on multiple single-electron oxidation processes using catalytic amounts of ferrocene. The reaction proceeds in the absence of stoichiometric amounts of electrolyte under mild conditions, affording the desired products with high chemo- and regioselectivity. The reaction was tolerant of a broad range of substrates and also enables late-stage β-C(sp³ )-H acylation of potentially valuable products. Preliminary mechanistic studies using cyclic voltammetry reveal the key role of ferrocene as a redox mediator in the reaction.

Ligand-controlled divergent dehydrogenative reactions of carboxylic acids via C-H activation

Dehydrogenative transformations of alkyl chains to alkenes through methylene carbon-hydrogen (C–H) activation remain a substantial challenge. We report two classes of pyridine-pyridone ligands that enable divergent dehydrogenation reactions through palladium-catalyzed β-methylene C–H activation of carboxylic acids, leading to the direct syntheses of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids or γ-alkylidene butenolides. The directed nature of this pair of reactions allows chemoselective dehydrogenation of carboxylic acids in the presence of other enolizable functionalities such as ketones, providing chemoselectivity that is not possible by means of existing carbonyl desaturation protocols. Product inhibition is overcome through ligand-promoted preferential activation of C(sp3)–H bonds rather than C(sp2)–H bonds or a sequence of dehydrogenation and vinyl C–H alkynylation. The dehydrogenation reaction is compatible with molecular oxygen as the terminal oxidant.

Site-Selective Acceptorless Dehydrogenation of Aliphatics Enabled by Organophotoredox/Cobalt Dual Catalysis

The value of catalytic dehydrogenation of aliphatics (CDA) in organic synthesis has remained largely underexplored. Known homogeneous CDA systems often require the use of sacrificial hydrogen acceptors (or oxidants), precious metal catalysts, and harsh reaction conditions, thus limiting most existing methods to dehydrogenation of non- or low-functionalized alkanes. Here we describe a visible-light-driven, dual-catalyst system consisting of inexpensive organophotoredox and base-metal catalysts for room-temperature, acceptorless-CDA (Al-CDA). Initiated by photoexited 2-chloroanthraquinone, the process involves H atom transfer (HAT) of aliphatics to form alkyl radicals, which then react with cobaloxime to produce olefins and H₂. This operationally simple method enables direct dehydrogenation of readily available chemical feedstocks to diversely functionalized olefins. For example, we demonstrate, for the first time, the oxidant-free desaturation of thioethers and amides to alkenyl sulfides and enamides, respectively. Moreover, the system's exceptional site selectivity and functional group tolerance are illustrated by late-stage dehydrogenation and synthesis of 14 biologically relevant molecules and pharmaceutical ingredients. Mechanistic studies have revealed a dual HAT process and provided insights into the origin of reactivity and site selectivity.

Electrochemical α-Arylation of Ketones via Anodic Oxidation of In Situ Generated Silyl Enol Ethers

An electrochemical procedure for the α-arylation of ketones has been developed. The method is based on the generation and one-pot anodic oxidation of silyl enol ethers in the presence of the arene. This strategy avoids isolation of the silyl enol intermediate and the utilization of external supporting electrolytes. Intermolecular arylations, which had not been reported so far, are possible when electron-rich arenes are utilized as coupling partners. The method has been demonstrated for a wide variety of aryl ketones and activated arenes, with moderate to good yields (up to 69%) obtained. Mechanistic insights and a theoretical rationale that explains the ketone α-arylation versus dimerization selectivity are also presented.