Catalyst-Free Phosphorylation of Aryl Halides with Trialkyl Phosphites through Electrochemical Reduction

A catalyst-free electrochemical cross-coupling reaction of aryl halides with trialkyl phosphite has been developed. This reaction proceeds in an undivided cell with low-cost Ni anode and graphite cathode under mild and neutral conditions. A wide range of functional groups are well-tolerated and the phosphorylated product can be obtained in gram scale, showing that this transformation has the potential to be a valuable method for the construction of aromatic carbon-phosphorus bond.