Metal Exchange between an Electrogenerated Organonickel Species and Zinc Halide: Application to an Electrochemical, Nickel-Catalyzed Reformatsky Reaction

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00006a012

The mechanism of the electroreductive coupling of α-chloro esters or α-chloro nitriles with carbonyl compounds by the means of a sacrificial zinc anode and a nickel catalyst was elucidated by electroanalytical techniques.The mechanism involved reduction of a Ni(II) complex to a Ni(0) complex, oxidative addition of the α-chloro ester to the Ni(0) complex, and a Zn(II)/Ni(II) exchange, leading to an organozinc Reformatsky reagent.The electrosynthesis of various β-hydroxy esters, β-hydroxy nitriles, and 2,3-epoxy esters was successfully achieved under extremely mild conditions.