Enantioselective Ni-Catalyzed Electrochemical Synthesis of Biaryl Atropisomers

A scalable
enantio­selective nickel-catalyzed electro­chemical
reductive homocoupling of aryl bromides has been developed, affording
enantio­enriched axially chiral biaryls in good yield under mild
conditions using electricity as a reductant in an undivided cell.
Common metal reductants such as Mn or Zn powder resulted in significantly
lower yields in the absence of electric current under otherwise identical
conditions, underscoring the enhanced reactivity provided by the combination
of transition metal catalysis and electro­chemistry.