Electrooxidative double C-H/C-H coupling of phenols with 3-phenylbenzothiophenes: facile access to benzothiophene derivatives.

An efficient electrooxidative double C-H/C-H coupling of phenols with 3-phenylbenzothiophene has been developed under external oxidant- and catalyst-free conditions. This strategy could enable the highly tunable access to benzothiophene derivatives and exhibited broad substrate generality under mild conditions. The reaction is likely to proceed via the cross-coupling of the p-methoxylphenol radical and the 3-phenylbenzothiophene radical cation.