Aggregation-Induced Electrochemical Boronation–Dihydroxylation of Alkenes

Abstract Electrochemical organic synthesis is typically conducted in a homogenous solution to facilitate mass transfer at the electrode. Therefore, aggregation is unfavorable and unexplored in electrochemical organic synthesis. In this report, we demonstrate the aggregation-induced boronation–dihydroxylation reaction of alkenes with boronic acids in full water media. The alkene aggregates at the lipophilic anode with the surface tension of water as the driving force, shielding boronic acid away from the anode. In this well-defined diffusion model, the boronation–dihydroxylation reaction occurs with high conversion, providing unique chemoselectivity.