Dehydroxylative Arylation of Alcohols via Paired Electrolysis.

Nonactivated alcohols along with arene compounds are used in electrochemical dehydroxylative arylation for constructing C(sp)-C(sp) bonds. The P reagent undergoes single-electron anodic oxidation to form its radical cation, which reacts with the alcohol to produce an alkoxytriphenylphosphine radical. Through spontaneous β-scission of the phosphoranyl radical, the C-O bond is cleaved to form an alkyl radical species, which couples with the radical anion generated by cathodic reduction of the electron-poor arene to afford the dehydroxylative arylated product.