Combining Organocatalysis and Electrochemistry

Significance

A new concept, combining organocatalysis with electrochemistry, is demonstrated by the authors on the direct intermolecular α-arylation of aldehydes using N-tosyl-4-aminophenol (1). The reaction was carried out in an undivided cell with acetonitrile-water (1:1) as solvent. In the presence of 10 mol% of catalyst, the corresponding meta-arylated anilines or dihydrobenzofurans 3 can be obtained in good yields (69-87%) with high stereoselectivity (up to er = 98:2).