Chemoselective, Scalable Nickel-Electrocatalytic O-Arylation of Alcohols

The formation of aryl-alkyl ether bonds through cross coupling of alcohols with aryl halides represents a useful strategic departure from classical S(N)2 methods. Numerous tactics relying on Pd-, Cu-, and Ni-based catalytic systems have emerged over the past several years. Herein we disclose a Ni-catalyzed electrochemically driven protocol to achieve this useful transformation with a broad substrate scope in an operationally simple way. This electrochemical method does not require strong base, exogenous expensive transition metal catalysts (e.g., Ir, Ru), and can easily be scaled up in either a batch or flow setting. Interestingly, e-etherification exhibits an enhanced substrate scope over the mechanistically related photochemical variant as it tolerates tertiary amine functional groups in the alcohol nucleophile.

Automated summary

The formation of aryl-alkyl ether bonds through cross coupling of alcohols with aryl halides using a Ni-catalyzed electrochemical method is a useful and operationally simple strategy with a broad substrate scope. This method does not require strong base or expensive transition metal catalysts, and can be easily scaled up in batch or flow settings. Additionally, e-etherification shows an enhanced substrate scope compared to the mechanistically related photochemical variant.