The importance of sustainable and green synthetic protocols for the synthesis of fine chemicals has rapidly increased during the last decades in an effort to reduce the use of fossil fuels and other finite resources. The replacement of common reagents by electricity provides a cost-and atom-efficient, environmentally friendly, and inherently safe access to novel synthetic routes. The selective formation of carbon− carbon bonds between two distinct substrates is a crucial tool in organic chemistry. This fundamental transformation enables access to a broad variety of complex molecular architectures. In particular, the aryl−aryl bond formation has high significance for the preparation of organic materials, drugs, and natural products. Besides well-known and well-established reductive-and oxidative-reagent-mediated or transition-metal-catalyzed coupling reactions, novel synthetic protocols have arisen, which require fewer steps than conventional synthetic approaches. Electroorganic conversions can be categorized according to the nature of the electron transfer processes occurring. Direct transformations at inert electrode materials are environmentally benign and cost-effective, whereas catalytic processes at active electrodes and mediated electrosynthesis using an additional soluble reagent can have beneficial properties in terms of selectivity and reactivity. In general, these conversions require challenging optimization of the reaction parameters and the appropriate cell design. Galvanostatic reactions enable fast conversions with a rather simple setup, whereas potentiostatic electrolysis may enhance selectivity. This Account discusses the development of seminal carbon−carbon bond formations over the past two decades, focusing on phenols leading to precursors for ligands in, e.g., hydroformylation reaction. A key element in the success of these electrochemical transformations is the application of electrochemically inert, non-nucleophilic, highly fluorinated alcohols such as 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP), which exhibit a large potential window for transformations and enable selective cross-coupling reactions. This selectivity is based on the capability of HFIP to stabilize organic radicals. Inert, carbon-based and metal-free electrode materials like graphite or boron-doped diamond (BDD) open up novel electroorganic pathways. Furthermore, novel active electrode materials have been developed to enable intra-and intermolecular dehydrogenative coupling reactions of electron-rich aryls. The application of 2,2′-biphenol derivatives as ligand components for catalysts requires reactions to be carried out on larger scale. In order to achieve this, continuous flow transformations have been established to overcome the drawbacks of heat transfer, overconversion, and conductivity. Modular cell designs enable the transfer of a broad variety of electroorganic conversions into continuous processes. Recent results demonstrate the application of organic electrochemistry to natural product synthesis of the pharmaceutically...

A selective dehydrogenative electrochemical functionalization of benzylic positions that employs 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoropropan-2-ol (HFIP) has been developed. The electrogenerated products are versatile intermediates for subsequent functionalizations as they act as masked benzylic cations that can be easily activated. Herein, we report a sustainable, scalable, and reagent- and metal-free dehydrogenative formal benzyl-aryl cross-coupling. Liberation of the benzylic cation was accomplished through the use of acid. Valuable diarylmethanes are accessible in the presence of aromatic nucleophiles. The direct application of electricity enables a safe and environmentally benign chemical transformation as oxidizers are replaced by electrons. A broad variety of different substrates and nucleophiles can be employed.

The intention of this review is to highlight the innovative electrolyte combination of 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) with tertiary nitrogen bases in electro-organic synthesis. This easy applicable and promising mixture is not yet well established in electro-organic synthesis, but expands the various possibilities in the latter. Combinations of fluorinated alcohols with nitrogen bases form highly conductive electrolyte systems, which can be evaporated completely. Consequently, no additional supporting electrolyte is required and work-up procedures are tremendously simplified. With this electrolyte mixture carbon-carbon homo-and cross-coupling reactions of arenes and phenols have been established with substrates that have not been previously susceptible to the anodic dehydrogenative coupling reaction. The intermediate installation of highly fluorinated alkoxy moieties can be exploited for subsequent conversions as well as various benzylic functionalization, including asymmetric transformations. These transformations show unique selectivity and functional group tolerance making them highly applicable to the synthesis of sophisticated structural motifs, including natural products.

We herein present a metal‐free, electrosynthetic method that enables the direct dehydrogenative coupling reactions of phenols carrying electron‐withdrawing groups for the first time. The reactions are easy to conduct and scalable, as they are carried out in undivided cells and obviate the necessity for additional supporting electrolyte. As such, this conversion is efficient, practical, and thereby environmentally friendly, as production of waste is minimized. The method features a broad substrate scope, and a variety of functional groups are tolerated, providing easy access to precursors for novel polydentate ligands and even heterocycles such as dibenzofurans.