An external oxidant-free C-H functionalization/C-O bond formation reaction for constructing benzo-3,4-coumarins accompanied by quantitative H evolution has been developed. High functional group tolerance and excellent reaction efficiency are shown in this transformation. Meanwhile, the substrates containing heterocyclic substituents such as thienyl-, pyridinyl-, and pyrrolylbenzoic acids displayed good performance. Importantly, this reaction can be performed with good efficiency on a gram scale. A cyclic voltammetry study and density functional theory calculations could provide insight into the mechanism of this reaction.

Molecular catalysis of water oxidation has been intensively investigated, but its mechanism is still not yet fully understood. This study aims at capturing and identifying key short-lived intermediates directly during the water oxidation catalyzed by a cobalt-tetraamido macrocyclic ligand complex using a newly developed an in situ electrochemical mass spectrometry (EC-MS) method. Two key ligand-centered-oxidation intermediates, [(L2–)­CoIIIOH] and [(L2–)­CoIIIOOH], were directly observed for the first time, and further confirmed by 18O-labeling and collision-induced dissociation studies. These experimental results further confirmed the rationality of the water nucleophilic attack mechanism for the single-site water oxidation catalysis. This work also demonstrated that such an in situ EC-MS method is a promising analytical tool for redox catalytic processes, not only limited to water oxidation.

A synthetic protocol to lactones by electro‐oxidative induced C—H activation of 2‐arylbenzoic acids has been developed. By using Na2SO4 aqueous solution as a cheap and green supporting electrolyte, different 2‐arylbenzoic acids could provide the corresponding lactones in 30%—90% yields. This reaction could be conducted on a gram scale with a good efficiency as well as a high utility for natural product synthesis.

Electrochemical mass spectrometry (EC-MS) is a powerful tool to capture and analyze the intermediates and products during electrochemical reactions. This hyphenated technique combines electrochemistry with mass spectrometry using specific apparatuses, which helps researchers study mechanisms of redox reactions by in situ detecting chemical composition changes. Recently, various EC-MS methods have been applied in a series of electrochemical reactions to reveal the mechanisms, mainly in the areas of electrochemical sensors, organic electrochemistry, and electrocatalysis. In this review, we intend to summarize the recent advances in real-time analysis of different types of electrochemical reactions by EC-MS and offer an outlook on the perspectives in these areas.