Metal‐ and Additive‐Free Electrochemical Oxidation of Benzylic C−X Bonds to Carbonyl Groups

Abstract A scalable electrochemical strategy for oxidation of various benzylic C−X bonds to carbonyl groups was achieved. The protocol runs under mild reaction conditions and air atmosphere in a simple undivided electrolysis cell, H 2 O as oxygen source, and cheap graphite plates as both anode and cathode. In addition, the electrolysis strategy features good functional groups tolerance for selectively generating structure versatile ketones, aldehydes, and esters.