Electrochemistry-Enabled Ir-Catalyzed Vinylic C–H Functionalization

Synergistic use of electrochemistry and organometallic catalysis has emerged as a powerful tool for site-selective C-H functionalization, yet this type of transformation has thus far mainly been limited to arene C-H functionalization. Herein, we report the development of electrochemical vinylic C-H functionalization of acrylic acids with alkynes. In this reaction an iridium catalyst enables C-H/O-H functionalization for alkyne annulation, affording α-pyrones with good to excellent yields in an undivided cell. Preliminary mechanistic studies show that anodic oxidation is crucial for releasing the product and regeneration of an Ir(III) intermediate from a diene-Ir(I) complex, which is a coordinatively saturated, 18-electron complex. Importantly, common chemical oxidants such as Ag(I) or Cu(II) did not give significant amounts of the desired product in the absence of electrical current under otherwise identical conditions.