Exogenous-oxidant-free electrochemical oxidative C-H sulfonylation of arenes/heteroarenes with hydrogen evolution.

An efficient and environmentally benign electrochemical oxidative radical C-H sulfonylation of arenes/heteroarenes was developed in this work. A series of significant diarylsulfones were prepared under mild catalyst- and exogenous-oxidant-free reaction conditions, which efficiently avoid the issues of desulfonylation or over-reduction of sulfonyl groups.