Facile preparation of organozinc bromides using electrogenerated highly reactive zinc and its use in cross-coupling reaction

Highly reactive zinc was readily prepared by electrolysis of a DMF solution containing pyrene as a mediator with a platinum cathode and a zinc anode. Preferential reduction of pyrene occurred to generate the corresponding radical anion, which reduced zinc ions generated from anodic dissolution to give zero valent zinc with high reactivity. The reactive zinc was successfully used for an efficient transformation of bromoalkanes into the corresponding organozinc bromides. Organozinc bromides obtained were further used successfully in Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction with various aryl iodides and bromides.