Electrooxidative Rhodium-Catalyzed C-H/C-H Activation: Electricity as Oxidant for Cross-Dehydrogenative Alkenylation

Rhodium(III) catalysis has enabled a plethora of oxidative C-H functionalizations, which predominantly employ stoichiometric amounts of toxic and/or expensive metal oxidants. In contrast, we herein describe the first electrochemical rhodium-catalyzed C-H activation that avoids hazardous chemical oxidants. Environmentally benign twofold C-H/C-H functionalizations were accomplished with weakly coordinating benzoic acids and benzamides, employing electricity as the terminal oxidant and generating H₂ as the sole byproduct.