Arylated products are found in various fields of chemistry and represent essential entities for many applications. Therefore, the formation of this structural feature represents a central issue of contemporary organic synthesis. By the action of electricity the necessity of leaving groups, metal catalysts, stoichiometric oxidizers, or reducing agents can be omitted in part or even completely. The replacement of conventional reagents by sustainable electricity not only will be environmentally benign but also allows significant short cuts in electrochemical synthesis. In addition, this methodology can be considered as inherently safe. The current survey is organized in cathodic and anodic conversions as well as by the number of leaving groups being involved. In some electroconversions the reagents used are regenerated at the electrode, whereas in other electrotransformations free radical sequences are exploited to afford a highly sustainable process. The electrochemical formation of the aryl-substrate bond is discussed for aromatic substrates, heterocycles, other multiple bond systems, and even at saturated carbon substrates. This survey covers most of the seminal work and the advances of the past two decades in this area.

Solvent effect enables electrosynthesis of organic compounds with strong variation of electric current at constant efficacy.

A stereoselective and electrocatalytic coupling reaction of isoeugenol has been reported for the first time in a 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP)/boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode system. This particular C-C bond formation and diastereoselectivity is driven by a solvate interaction between the radical species and another isoeugenol molecule. Due to an electrocatalytic cycle, only understoichiometric amounts of charge are necessary. Since electric current is directly employed as the oxidant, the reaction is metal and reagent-free. In addition, the electrolysis can be conducted in a very simple undivided beaker-type cell under constant current conditions. Therefore, the protocol is easy to use, suitable for scale-up, and inherently safe.

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