Electrochemical deoxygenative arylation of aldehydes and ketones.

The construction of diaryl alkanes from aromatic aldehydes or ketones with electron-deficient arenes is achieved in the presence of trivalent phosphine under electrochemical conditions. Reductive coupling between electron-deficient arenes and the carbonyl groups of aldehydes or ketones occurs at the cathode to yield diaryl alcohols. At the anode, the trivalent phosphine reagent may undergo single-electron oxidation to generate its radical cation, which reacts with the diaryl alcohols to form dehydroxylated products.