A green, simple, catalyst-free, and efficient method for electro-organic synthesis of new benzofuran derivatives

In this work, the electrochemical oxidation of catechols 1a and 1b was studied in the presence of pyrazolidine-3,5-dione (3a), as a nucleophile, in a mixture of ethanol and a phosphate buffer solution (0.1 M, pH 7), as a green medium, using the cyclic voltammetry and controlled-potential coulometry techniques. The results obtained indicated that the oxidized forms of these catechols (2a and 2b) participated in the Michael addition reactions with pyrazolidine-3,5-dione (3a), and converted, via an ECEC mechanism, to their corresponding benzofurans (7a and 7b). In this work, some new benzofuran derivatives were synthesized with good yields and high purities using a facile, one-pot, and environmentally friendly electrochemical method in the absence of any chemical catalyst, toxic solvent, and hard conditions.