Electrocatalytic carboxylation of arylic bromides at silver cathode in the presence of carbon dioxide

A simple and efficient electrocatalytic carboxylation of arylic bromides has been developed using silver as cathode and magnesium as anode in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) under mild conditions. The influences of some key factors (such as the nature of cathode material, current density, and temperature) on this reaction were investigated. The investigations were extended to other arylic bromides under the optimized conditions, and the corresponding carboxylic acids were obtained in moderate to good yields (30- 78%). The electrochemical behavior was studied at different electrodes (Ag, Cu, Ni, and Ti) by cyclic voltammetry, which showed significant electrocatalytic effect of the silver electrode toward the reductive carboxylation of arylic bromides.