title: Electrochemical cleavage of aryl ethers promoted by sodium borohydride.
abstract: The NaBH4 (or TBABH4)-promoted electrochemically reductive cleavage of aryl C-O bonds in diaryl ethers to produce phenols and arenes with high yields and excellent selectivities at room temperature was reported. Air- and water-tolerable, this process also works on the cleavage of aryl alkyl and benzyl ethers. The application to break the β-O-4, α-O-4, and 4-O-5 lignin model compounds is also illustrated, which highlights the advance toward the goal of lignin conversion.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology , Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Bin
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jing-Mei
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D001894:Borohydrides / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D004987:Ethers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008031:Lignin / Q000737:chemistry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010636:Phenols / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001894:Borohydrides; D004987:Ethers; D010636:Phenols; C025364:sodium borohydride; D008031:Lignin