Electrochemical Continuous-Flow Scholl Reaction toward Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Org Lett. 2024 Mar 22;26(11):2243-2248. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.4c00445. Epub 2024 Mar 8.

Abstract

The preparation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by the Scholl reaction is typically performed by using superstoichiometric oxidants. Herein, we develop an electrochemical continuous-flow Scholl reaction to access PAHs that features a reduction in the use of supporting electrolytes and easy scale-up without changing the reaction conditions and setups. This reaction allows the synthesis of distorted PAHs containing three [5]helicene units that possess intriguing electronic and optical properties.