Electrochemical synthesis of new benzodifurans

Electrochemical oxidation of catechol (1a) and 3-methyl-catechol (1b) has been studied in the presence of chloranilic acid (3) as a nucleophile in aqueous solution using cyclic voltammetry and controlled-potential coulometry. In this work, we proposed a novel mechanism for the electrode process and derived variety of products with good yield and purity using controlled-potential electrochemical oxidation at a graphite electrode in a two compartment cell.