Electrogenerated Sm(II)-Catalyzed CO2 Activation for Carboxylation of Benzyl Halides.

Sm(II)-catalyzed carboxylation of benzyl halides is reported through the electrochemical reduction of CO2. The transformation proceeds under mild reaction conditions to afford the corresponding phenylacetic acids in good to excellent yields. This user-friendly and operationally simple protocol represents an alternative to traditional strategies, which usually proceeds through the C(sp3)-halide activation pathway.