Rhodaelectro-catalyzed C–H and C–C activation

Abstract

Rhodium(III) catalysis has set the stage for a plethora of oxidative C–H functionalizations over the last decade, which have predominantly employed stoichiometric amounts of toxic and expensive metal oxidants, such as silver(I) salts. In the meantime, electrosynthesis has emerged as an increasingly viable alternative for expensive and toxic oxidants. Recently, significant momentum has been achieved with the merger of electrocatalysis with organometallic C–H activation. However, user-friendly and robust rhodaelectro-catalysis has until very recently proven elusive for oxidative C–H activations. This minireview highlights the current knowledge and recent advances of electrooxidation in rhodium-catalyzed C–H or C–C activations, with a topical focus on contributions from the Ackermann group through July 2020.