Nickel-catalyzed electrochemical arylation of activated olefins

Nickel-catalyzed electrochemical conjugate additions of substituted aryl bromides to activated olefins under recently optimized reaction conditions are reported. Good to high yields were obtained, whatever the nature of substituents in the meta- and para-positions of the benzene ring. In the ortho-substituted series, yields were good with electron-donating substituents, but low with electron-withdrawing groups. The activation of aryl chlorides and the sequential functionalization of aryl dihalides were also investigated.