Electrochemically Driven Nickel-Catalyzed Phenol Synthesis via Sustainable Oxygen Atom Transfer from Nitrous Oxide

Abstract

The valorization of nitrous oxide (N₂O) as an oxygen atom donor presents an attractive opportunity for green chemistry applications, leveraging both its industrial abundance and thermodynamically favorable oxidation potential. However, practical implementation has been constrained by the inherent kinetic inertness and poor coordinating ability of N₂O. While prior studies achieved N₂O-mediated conversion of aryl halides to phenols, such transformations necessitated stoichiometric chemical reductants and elevated pressure (2 atm), posing challenges in operational safety and process scalability. This study focuses on an electrochemical strategy that enables efficient oxygen atom transfer under ambient pressure through controlled current application. This methodology facilitates the selective transformation of aryl iodides to phenols without external reducing agents, establishing an environmentally benign synthetic pathway. By replacing traditional chemical reductants with electrons as the sole reducing equivalent, our approach addresses critical sustainability challenges in aromatic oxygenation chemistry while maintaining operational simplicity under mild conditions.