Alternating Current Electrolysis for Organic Electrosynthesis: Trifluoromethylation of (Hetero)arenes.
Sachini RodrigoChanchamnan UmJason C MixdorfDisni GunasekeraHien M NguyenLong LuoPublished in: Organic letters (2020)
Paired electrolysis has a limited reaction scope for organic synthesis because it is often not compatible with reactions involving short-lived intermediates. We addressed this limitation using alternating current electrolysis (ACE). Using trifluoromethylation of (hetero)arenes as a model reaction, we showed that the yield was improved from 13% using paired electrolysis to 84% using ACE. We have also developed a theory for guiding the rational design of reaction parameters for future applications of ACE.