Electrochemical reductive alkylation of (benzophenone)Cr(CO)3 and (benzophenone)2

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0022-328X(87)80070-0

The electrochemical reduction of (benzophenone)Cr(CO)3 and (benzophenone)2 in the presence of a series of alkyl chlorides which are more difficult to reduce, has been carried out in N,N-dimethylformamide on a mercury pool cathode.When methyl chloride and p-cyanobenzyl chloride are used as alkylating agents, complexed monoalkylated ethers are exclusively obtained as substitution products, in yields ranging from 36 to 54percent.Complexed alkylated alcohols are isolated as the major products when (benzophenone)Cr(CO)3 is reduced in the presence of benzyl-chloride and its 2,3,5-trimethyl derivative, in 48 and 44percent yields, respectively.These last results suggest the intermediate formation of a charge transfer complex between the aromatic ring of the electrophile and the complexed ketone.